KMT chairman says he doesn't hate ex-boss Lee

"Chen ought not to be confused by my call for ethnic reconciliation with what's between me and Lee, which is a mere difference in political ideologies."

Lien Chan, KMT chairman

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) yesterday said he harbored no hatred toward his former boss Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and chided President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) for confusing the public about Taiwan's national status.

"In democratic politics, everyone is entitled to have different political ideologies. This ought not to be confused with hatred," he said.

"Therefore there is no need for reconciliation [between Lee and me] because there is no animosity," he said in response to comments made by Chen the previous day.

At a campaign rally in Tai-chung on Sunday night, Chen posed three questions to Lien, the pan-blue camp's candidate in next March's presidential election.

Chen Lien to explain why he didn't dare say that Taiwan and China "are countries on each side of the Taiwan Strait."

Recalling Lien's apology for errors made by the KMT during its decades-long rule of Taiwan, Chen also asked the KMT chairman why his party had yet to "return all of its ill-gotten assets to the people and the country."

Chen, noting Lien's recent proposal on reconciliation to promote ethnic harmony, then asked Lien why he didn't make the first move by making peace with Lee.

Lee Lien first fell out when Lee was expelled from the KMT in 2001 after the party's poor showing in the presidential election the previous year. Lee was the party's chairman at the time of the election and Lien a vice chairman.

Suspicion the two increased when a Japanese biography of Lee, released in May 2001, claimed that Lien had urged Lee to vacate the party's helm "the sooner the better" following Lien's defeat in the presidential election. Lien dismissed the book's claim.

"Chen ought not to be confused by my call for ethnic reconciliation with what's between me and Lee, which is a mere difference in political ideologies," Lien said.

Regarding Chen's goading on the nationality issue, Lien said, "I stand up for the Republic of China [ROC]. Chen should not cut corners and address this issue in a roundabout way. He is the one who should address the question of whether or not he identifies himself with the ROC."

On Chen's question about the KMT's assets, Lien replied: "What needed to be returned has already been returned."

Not to be outdone, the pan-blue alliance yesterday posed three questions for Chen.

"We would like to ask Chen, if he fails in his re-election bid next year, would he run again in 2008 and thus prevent Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and Taipei County Commissioner Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) from moving up the ladder?" KMT spokesman Alex Tsai (蔡正元) asked at a press conference.

Tsai asked if Chen was still determined to hold a referendum on the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, as he had promised when he first proposed a referendum.

Tsai asked Chen to clearly state whether he identified himself with the ROC or agreed with Lee's ideas for a "Republic of Taiwan."