KMT orders Lee's portraits removed

The KMT is working to stamp out the memory of the former chairman that led the party for 16 years.

The KMT last week revoked the membership of Lee Teng-hui (李登輝). Yesterday, party officials ordered portraits of Lee be removed from all KMT buildings and offices.

The decision was made in a meeting of the party's Central Committee. The portraits are expected to be removed after the decision to revoke Lee's membership is reported to the party's Central Standing Committee today.

Currently, Lee's portrait adorns a hall in the KMT's headquarters -- alongside portraits of party founder Sun Yat-sen (孫中山), generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek (蔣中正) and former party chairman Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國).

Lee's portraits can also been seen at most local KMT divisions.

Chang Che-shen (張哲琛), the director-general of the party's Administration and Management Committee, said pictures of Lee will removed from wherever they hang.

The one hanging at the KMT's headquarters will be kept in the Party Achieves Library after it is taken down.

The Central Committee also decided yesterday that no portraits of the party's future leaders will go up, though pictures of Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek will continue to be displayed.

Chang added that the party would not replace Lee's portraits with pictures of incumbent Chairman Lien Chan (連戰). He said the idea was to show the KMT's resolve in stopping the "worship" of party personalities.

Soon after the decision was made yesterday, Lien ordered pictures of Chiang Ching-kuo to continue being displayed as a "token" of remembrance for his past contributions to the party.

In related developments, a group of roughly 30 KMT members from Kaohsiung quit the party to join the DPP in protest over the party's decision to kick Lee out of the party.

The defections were orchestrated by Kaohsiung DPP legislative candidate Lin Chin-hsing (林進興). Lin said that many KMT members had contacted him recently to express their frustration with the party and their desire to join the DPP.

Lin said the ouster of Lee had underscored the betrayal of the "Taiwan first" policies the former president had advocated.

Lin also urged pro-localization KMT members to leave the party and vote for DPP candidates in the year-end legislative elections.

But yesterday's move was immediately dismissed by the KMT as a "campaign gimmick."

Lee Yuan-chuan (李源泉), head of the KMT's Kaohsiung division, said Lin should quit interfering in the KMT's business and stop attempting to split the party.

China, for its part, is happy to see Lee's ouster from the KMT.

A report from Beijing yesterday cited the China Daily as calling Lee's ouster "a blessing to the party and people alike."