Pan-blue supported think tank strives to be nonpartisan

A new think tank called the Mirror Society (鏡社) composed of academic and economic figures was launched yesterday.

"As the name suggests, the think tank wishes to reflect the voice of the public to better our society," said professor of political science at the National Taiwan University Ger Yeong-kuang (葛永光), founder and president of the think tank.

Although the group says it is nonpartisan, it is composed mainly of pan-blue academic and business figures.

Ger, however, dismissed media comparisons of the Mirror Society with other think tanks such as the Taipei Society (澄社) and Taiwan Thinktank (台灣智庫), which are generally viewed backing President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

"We don't like labels," Ger said. "While it is OK and natural for each and everyone to have his or her own stance, I think society as a whole should have now evolved to a stage where it can stop turning different opinions into political struggles.

"The think tank was not founded to foster conflict between the so-called pan-blue and pan-green camps, but was established in order so to serve as a platform and a bridge between politicians and academics," Ger said.

Ger said that the think tank would focus on major issues such as foreign affairs, cross-strait relations, economics and national security.

Unlike the National Policy Foundation (國家政策研究基金會), a policy-oriented think tank that's affiliated with the KMT, Ger said that the Mirror Society is purely academic and an organization whose scope of discussion includes not just policies but also ideologies and ideas.

Ger said that he has been contemplating founding a think tank for a couple of years.

"The motive behind forming the think tank came from the sense of helplessness and frustration that a group of us academics has sometimes felt when we got together and talked about various situations faced by the nation," Ger said.

"Since many of us are in our 50s and are in leadership positions in various professional fields, we've decided, instead complaining and do nothing, to form a think tank through which we can voice opinions, make suggestions, offer advice and make a difference to our society," he said.

According to Ger, the group has a membership of approximately 100.

The group will hold its official founding ceremony on March 22 with an invitation list including KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰), PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明) and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Ger said.