KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) yesterday likened the actions of the TSU and PFP during the recent dispute over secret funds of the National Security Bureau (NSB) to those of the Boxers and the Red Guards during the rule of Mao Zedong (毛澤東) in China.
Lien reaffirmed that his party is following the middle way and wouldn't get involved in any acts intended to "honor" or "attack" any person.
Lien, who since the KMT's legislative election disaster last December, has seldom publicly criticized rival parties, made the comparison by insinuation when he discussed the issue with a group of KMT lawmakers yesterday.
"The KMT is a party that takes the middle course. As far as the ongoing political strife is concerned, nobody has called the KMT the Boxers or the Red Guards," Lien said. "The dogfight between the Boxers and the Red Guards has nothing to do with the KMT."
While the NSB case has developed into a heated struggle between the two parties over former president Lee Teng-hui's (李登輝) reputation, the KMT's low-key attitude in discussing the issue has drawn speculation that the KMT intends to adopt a policy to "honor" and mend fences with Lee, despite his ouster from the party.
Clarifying the KMT's position on the issue, Lien said the party is only concerned about whether the case involves violations of the nation's laws, rather than who is involved.
The focus of the matter should not be diverted to one person in order to "attack" or "honor" that person, Lien added.
Lien said the fact that the NSB secret funds have been allowed to exist during Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) presidency indicates that the DPP has failed to make good on its promise to stop corruption in the government.
He said that this means that the KMT has the responsibility to offer Taiwan's people a "crucial option" in the next presidential race in 2004.
"Despite the transition of power, the practices that invited so much criticism in the past have continued," Lien said.
"The Taiwanese people will definitely feel disappointed."
In what was interpreted as a hint that he would not run for the presidency in 2004, Lien said that the KMT has "a wealth of talent" from which the party would select its presidential candidate through democratic methods.
Regarding the year-end elections for the Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoralties, Lien said that the party expects Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to seek re-election as Taipei's mayor, while the search for a mayoral candidate for Kaohsiung will be finalized in June.
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