The December elections are approaching, and former president and ousted KMT chairman Lee Teng-hui (
According to Wang Jin-pyng (
"Exceptional" performance as a legislator will also get the backing of Lee, Wang said.
Wang and Wu Poh-hsiung (
Wang said that during the visit, he and Wu could feel Lee still had feelings for the KMT.
According to the pair, it was Lee who brought up the possibility of helping KMT candidates in the year-end elections. Wu told Lee that many party members still respect Lee and miss the former president very much.
"[Lee] agreed with what Wu said, and said he will campaign with those candidates he thinks are very nice to him," Wang said.
Wang also quoted Lee as saying that he hopes the KMT wins more than half of the legislature's seats, as this would be one way to bring stability to the unruly lawmaking body.
Wu and Wang's visit took place two days before Lee addressed the founding ceremony of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), a new political group that considers Lee its spiritual leader.
A few anti-Lee KMT members are furious that Lee has backed the TSU and have proposed expelling him from the party.
Still, the KMT's Evaluation and Discipline Committee has put the issue aside, as expelling Lee may give him the image of a martyr and lead to greater support for the former president.
News that Lee plans to stump for KMT candidates has called into question whether he'll also campaign for TSU hopefuls.
Lee Ching-yi (李靜宜), a close aide to the former president, said yesterday that Lee has made no substantial plans to publicly endorse TSU candidates, and that it was premature to discuss such a matter.
But she would not comment on whether the former president plans to join KMT candidates on the campaign trail, saying she was not with Lee when the visit took place.
KMT spokesman Wang Chih-kang (
However, Wang added, "It's very normal for KMT members to show public support for KMT candidates. And this is what they should do."
In related news, the KMT's Central Standing Committee ratified a decision by the Evaluation and Discipline Committee to expel 11 KMT members who have joined the TSU.
KMT lawmaker Hung Hsiu-chu (
"We must make this point very clear to avoid confusion among party officials who are in charge of grassroots campaigning," Hung said.
Hung said she has no objection to the party's decision not to deal with Lee now. Any attempt to expel Lee would only boost his media exposure and lead to the perception that he's a victim of the KMT's "persecution," Hung said.
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