Opposition parties jockey for position

Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), a political science professor at National Chengchi University, said regardless of whether the KMT continues with a majority or not, it is a party priority to be included in the future coalition government to sustain the party's relevance.

"If the KMT refuses to negotiate with the DPP, the ruling party will be forced to negotiate with the PFP. In this case, the KMT will lose the chance to build up the party through participation in the administration," Wu said.

Over the past year, the approval rating of the KMT has been the lowest among the three major political parties, and Lien's popularity has also been the lowest among the three potential candidates in the 2004 presidential election.

"It is very important for the KMT to take a more cooperative stand in order to boost Lien and the KMT's popularity," Wu said.