KMT leaders yesterday called on party members to refrain from squabbling with their PFP counterparts and instead build a spirit of cooperation between the two parties.
"Now that the KMT and the PFP have decided to cooperate, we should not throw criticism at one other," KMT Secretary-General Lin Fong-cheng (林豐正) said when asked to comment on the recent bickering between members of the two parties.
Debate over who shall head a joint-presidential ticket for the 2004 presidential election and who will serve as the running mate has plagued inter-party relations since KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
Tensions between the two camps bubbled over on Sunday when KMT Legislator Lee Chia-chin (李嘉進) claimed that his party has an oversupply of candidates suitable to head up the ticket while the PFP has only Soong.
PFP legislative leader Chiu Yi (邱毅) hit back at Lee, criticizing him for belittling the PFP as well as Soong.
Calling for an end to the in-fighting, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said that the recent spate of bad blood between the two parties would only serve to exasperate voters.
"Voters will only get more annoyed if [we] continue to argue over who takes the ticket," said Ma, who also serves as a member on the KMT's Central Standing Committee.
"I think a more important issue here is our direction and policies," Ma said.
Lin also asked party members "not to respond to criticism or attacks directed at them."
In response, Chiu said yesterday that Lin's statement went too far.
"All this time PFP members have not criticized nor attacked the KMT," said Chiu. "All we have done is simply respond to Lee's remarks about the PFP."
Chiu said that it was the KMT which had initiated the war of words by launching massive media propaganda and constructing opinion polls with results geared to coercing the PFP to accept a joint-ticket that put Lien in the presidential slot.
"The KMT's over-anxious and over-impetuous attitude has created resentment within the PFP," Chiu said.
Also see story:
RSS