Senior KMT members urged the PFP yesterday to restrain some of its heavyweights who would rather adopt radical action to attack the DPP government than criticize Beijing's actions to keep Taiwan out of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The members said such "Red Guard" behavior would do nothing to help the KMT-PFP alliance in next year's presidential election.
KMT Legislator Hsu Chung-hsiung (
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Health (DOH), Kao's attendance to the WHO-organized SARS conference in Kuala Lumpur last week was recommended by China. Chinese officials also confirmed that the WHO gave its invitation to Kao under Beijing's permission and recommendation.
The pan-green alliance accused Kao of serving as a tool of China to denigrate Taiwan's status in the international community.
Facing criticism from the public, Soong asked Kao to withdraw from the conference and to return to Taiwan.
The PFP fought back against the DPP's allegations, saying Kao was innocent because the DPP government didn't warn Kao of the situation and even refused to provide any assistance to the PFP lawmaker.
Kao filed a libel suit yesterday against against DOH Director-General Chien Chen-jen (
"It may be true that the DPP government played a two-faced strategy to set up Kao, however, as a senior politician, Kao has no right to claim he is innocent," Hsu said.
"Kao should publicly apologize for his carelessness when facing Beijing's political ploys before he endeavors to blame the DPP," Hsu said.
"Other PFP lawmakers who just used this event to create a stage on which to show off by irrationally attacking the government will harm the Lien-Soong ticket," he said. "Such actions will only benefit those lawmakers who can promote their credit in fighting Chen's administration, but will enhance the KMT-PFP alliance's negative image of being friendly to China."
KMT lawmakers Chen Hung-chang (
"What they [PFP legislators] have done will lead the KMT-PFP alliance to move toward the pro-China image and will make the Lien-Soong ticket lose support from non-partisan voters," Chen said.
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