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Wang hopes to cultivate his standing

After his relationship with former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) hit a new low following the Legislative Yuan speakership race in February, Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) is seeking to mend fences with Lee to pave the way for his future political career, analysts said yesterday.

Wang, in his role as vice chairman of the KMT, on Wednesday suggested to KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) that the party show some goodwill toward Lee to win him back.

This gesture, coming at a time when Lee is under attack from the PFP over secret National Security Bureau funds, is widely seen as an olive branch to the former president.

"It seems Lee is in a spot and Wang has reached out immediately to try to give him a lift," observed independent lawmaker Sisy Chen (陳文茜).

"Wang sees this as a golden opportunity to mend fences with Lee, because President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), though he has defended Lee, hasn't really come to his rescue," she said.

Wang won re-election as legislative speaker on Feb. 1 with the support of all four major parties, thanks to his friendly relations with President Chen, Lee and Lien.

By supporting Wang, the DPP and TSU were expecting him to influence some KMT lawmakers to vote for their candidate, Hung Chi-chang (洪奇昌), for the vice speakership.

But those hopes were dashed, upsetting Lee, who had played a key role in Wang's victory in his first bid for the speakership in 1999 and had given his full endorsement for Wang's second run at the job.

Furious TSU lawmakers openly criticized Wang for what they saw as his betrayal, calling him a "political speculator."

Just as Wang's relationship with Lee soured, distrust also appeared to grow between Lee and the president over the government's recent decision to allow Taiwan's chipmakers to invest in China and Chen's position on the NSB funds scandal.

"With Wang's people skills, he knows former president Lee is most in need of sympathy and help at this moment," said PFP Legislator Diane Lee (李慶安).

"As a matter of fact, Wang has three bosses: Chen Shui-bian, Lee Teng-hui and Lien Chan. As long as he takes good care of his relationship with these three persons, he will be like a fish in water," Diane Lee added.

As a politician representing pro-localization forces in the KMT, Wang has maintained close ties with the former president despite Lee's ouster from the party.

As speaker of the Legislative Yuan, Wang's coordination efforts have helped Chen put an end to a political crisis triggered by the government's decision to scrap the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in 2000.

For the KMT, Wang is a crucial figure through whom the party can still have control over the legislature, despite its defeat in the 2000 presidential race and a loss of seats in last December's legislative elections.

Well aware of the fact that he still needs the backing of the KMT to secure his hold on the speakership, Wang has not forgotten to prove his allegiance.

While publicly allaying suspicion that he might lead a mass defection of pro-localization KMT politicians to the pan-green camp during the run-up to last year's legislative races, Wang also expressed firm support for Lien's leadership in the wake of the party's election setbacks.

According to KMT Legislator Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進), the gesture has become of increased importance if Wang is to obtain the party's nomination for the 2004 presidency.

"If he is to run in the race, Wang will definitely need the backing of the pan-blue camp. Therefore, Wang will still stand by the KMT whenever a showdown takes place," Diane Lee said.

Though Wang has not openly indicated his interest in the presidency, he has been working to establish his connections with politicians with a mainlander background in an effort to win their trust, Lee noted.

For example, Lee said, Wang has met with a number of retired lawmakers and National Assembly deputies recently, in what is an obvious effort to set the stage for his next political undertaking.

"Wang has enjoyed a certain national reputation, but he still has some distance to go before his reputation is built up to the extent that he can be sure of the candidacy," Lee said.

Of course, Wang has to be sure that Lee Teng-hui is supportive of his bid, too.
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