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Newsmaker: Chen puts herself firmly in pan-blue camp

The recent hoopla surrounding a pan-blue campaign event has highlighted the intriguing relation between independent legislator Sisy Chen (陳文茜) and the KMT-PFP alliance.

A former DPP publicity chief, Chen now devotes her time to the pan-blues, helping the KMT and PFP in its fight against the DPP in the run up to next March's presidential election.

However, given the fact that she holds no official title or position within the alliance, Chen's contributions have reportedly drawn complaints from staff within the alliance's publicity office, who grumble that Chen has hijacked too much influence and has risen above the two parties' own mechanism.

Last week, local Chinese-language media reported that KMT Chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) wife Lien Fang-yu (連方瑀) was upset at Chen for not letting her sing on stage when the KMT and the PFP co-hosted a two-hour fund-raising event earlier last month.

The televised live event, held in memory of medical personnel who died of SARS after being infected by patients with the disease, was partly initiated by Chen, who has a large amount of media experience.

The report said that Lien Fang complained that the party had no say in the organization of one of its own campaign drives.

Although Lien dismissed the report, the incident shone a light on Chen's involvement with the pan-blue camp.

Speculation of discord between Chen and the KMT's campaign team resurfaced when Su Chi (蘇起), co-convener of the KMT-PFP alliance's publicity panel, handed in his resignation on Thursday.

Countering speculation that his resignation was somehow connected to Chen, Su, the former chief of the Mainland Affairs Council, said he resigned because he wished to focus his energy on the alliance's cross-strait affairs panel, an area he says he holds more interest in.

Despite Su's denial, the incident delivered a fresh blow to the alliance, which has survived a number of embarrassments since its formation three month ago.

Chen, known for her witty and sarcastic speeches, hosts a TV political commentary program.

A former DPP spokeswoman between 1995 and 1998, Chen defected to the DPP after the 2000 presidential election and has since become one of the most fierce critics of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and the DPP.

Although elected in December 2001 as an independent legislator, Chen has sided with the pan-blue camp in the Legislature Yuan on various issues.

Despite close interaction with the pan-blues, Chen insists that she will remain independent.

Although outsiders have described Chen as being the driving force behind the publicity machine, Chen calls herself the alliance's "free-of-charge advertising company."

Saying that she has no intention of getting "too involved" with either the KMT or the PFP, Chen said that "I help out [with the KMT-PFP alliance] merely as a friend."

"I have no desire to take part in any of the KMT-PFP internal activities nor assume any position in its 2004 presidential campaign," she said.

KMT Secretary-General Lin Feng-cheng (林豐正) said the party has not been unsatisfied with Chen.

"Rumors about Chen rising above the KMT's internal mechanism are not true," Lin said, adding that he "would not be pleased if it were found to be KMT party members spreading the rumors and destroying the spirit of cooperation [between Chen and the alliance.]"

PFP Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄) said that Chen's credentials as a media professional are impeccable and therefore the alliance greatly values Chen's talents, comments and suggestions.

"Given that Chen is not part of the alliance's mechanism, she is even more important as its consultant," Liu said.

Dismissing talk of discord within the party, KMT spokesman Alex Tsai (蔡正元) said that, to the best of his knowledge, no one in the party's publicity office is unsatisfied with Chen.

"The KMT's publicity committee welcomes Chen, as well as all others who are willing to contribute ideas to the KMT," Tsai said.

How the relation between Chen and the pan-blue camp develops remains to be seen as the KMT and PFP's campaign unfolds in the run up to the presidential election.
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