Economy key to election: analysts

Senior aides to the president said that the two parties' decision to team up for next year's presidential election was not surprising.

But with internal contradictions within their parties unresolved, the alliance would never be a case of one plus one equals two.

"The ruling party's campaign strategy is not based on who our opponent will be," the aide said.

The thinking of Chen and his team focuses on letting the public understand what the ruling party has achieved and what it will do next," the aide said.

"Therefore, the president will strengthen communications with the public through various channels, such as the weekly speech on TV, and to inform the public of the government's reforms over the past three years," the aide said.

KMT Legislator Hsu Chung-hsiung (徐中雄), who once criticized the cooperation between the KMT and the PFP, said yesterday that as early as last July, Lien had assured some senior party members that Soong had promised to cooperate with the KMT.

Hsu said the KMT chief had also said that Soong had agreed to leave it up to Lien to decide who should run for the presidency.

"The sincerity between Lien and Soong in forming this alliance is beyond imagination. What leaves us unsettled is just some noise from within both parties," Hsu said.

"There were doubts about Soong's sincerity in cooperating with Lien, but following a rise in the KMT's morale and support rate after last December's Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral and city councilor elections, pressure from grassroots supporters was such that Soong finally conceded," Hsu said.

"But controversy may arise in the future as to how the shadow Cabinet and the campaign team should be formed," Hsu said.

"In particular, if personnel matters are under the PFP's control, the grassroots supporters may challenge Lien over selling the entire party to Soong simply to obtain the presidency," he said.