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Soong unlikely to attend KMT meet, PFP official says

Counter to KMT expectations, PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) might not be able to take part in the KMT's upcoming 16th national congress, PFP spokesman Hwang Yih-jiau (黃義交) said yesterday.

In a bid to showcase pan-blue unity in the run up to next March's presidential election, the KMT had originally planned to have Soong, in his capacity as KMT Chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) running mate, appear alongside with Lien at the event's opening ceremony this Saturday.

"The possibility of Soong attending the event is slim," Hwang said, adding that Soong is preoccupied with visits in Europe.

"Soong's itinerary was set before he received the invitation from the KMT," Hwang said. "Now that Soong is abroad, it would be tricky to rearrange it so that he could be back in Taiwan in time to attend the KMT event."

When asked to comment on the possibility of Soong attending the congress, KMT Secretary-General Lin Fong-cheng (林豐正) said yesterday: "If Soong is back in town when the meeting takes place, he will definitely show up at the congress."

The KMT and the PFP signed a memorandum of understanding in February on the formation of a political alliance. They agreed to run on a joint ticket in the next presidential race.

If Soong does make it to Saturday's meeting, it would mark the first time he has attended a formal KMT event since he was kicked out of the party in 1999.

Soong was ousted from the KMT for his decision to run in the 2000 presidential election against KMT nominee Lien. Soong founded the PFP in March 2000 after he failed in his own maverick campaign to become president.

The two-day KMT national congress will be held at the party's headquarters in Taipei.

During the meeting, 210 members of the party's Central Committee will be elected. These new members will, in turn, vote for candidates from their ranks to fill the 31 spots on the Central Standing Committee.
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