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KMT denies Soong rules the alliance

"When two parties pledge alliance, it is normal for party chairpersons [involved in the alliance] to voice their opinions from time to time."

Apollo Chen, KMT legislator

KMT legislators yesterday said that the DPP's recent allegations of PFP Chairman James Soong's (宋楚瑜) dominant role in the KMT-PFP decision-making mechanism was merely an attempt to sow discord in the pan-blue alliance.

Soong was accused of mobilizing opposition legislators to prevent the legislature from confirming the appointment of grand justice nominees, despite reservations expressed by a few KMT legislators, including KMT Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平).

DPP Vice Secretary General Lee Ching-yung (李進勇) on Thursday said the KMT is losing ground in the KMT-PFP decision-making process because Soong has come to play a dominant, leading role over KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰).

"It is a merely a tactic used by the DPP, who wants to make use of every opportunity to drive a wedge between the KMT and the PFP," KMT Legislator Huang Chien-ting (黃健庭) said.

Dismissing the DPP's claim that the KMT is losing ground to Soong, Huang stressed that the decision to agree with the PFP on reviewing all the grand justice nominees only in September, when the next legislative session begins, was reached by the KMT legislative caucus on its own, after a majority vote, and was not directed by Soong.

In a showdown vote staged yesterday at the Legislative Yuan, the pan-blue opposition front successfully blocked the legislature from confirming the appointment of the grand justice nominees. The review of the grand justice nominees will therefore take place in September when the next legislative session convenes.

"The KMT is not losing its autonomy in the KMT-PFP alliance as the DPP claimed," Huang said.

Agreeing with Huang, KMT legislator Apollo Chen (陳學聖) said that there's no such thing as Soong playing an ultra-influential role over Lien in the alliance's decision-making process.

The alliance was formed in February when the parties agreed to join forces for next March's presidential campaign, with Lien the presidential candidate and Soong his running mate.

"When two parties pledge alliance, it is normal for party chairpersons [involved in the alliance] to voice their opinions from time to time," Chen said.

"I mean, is the DPP going to turn around and accuse Lien of playing a domineering role in the alliance's decision-making forums and mechanisms if next time it is [Lien] who voices his opinion?"
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