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Calls for Lien to remain KMT boss roil party

Given the success of his recent trip to China and his status as the leader of the pan-blue camp for the past five years, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) has guaranteed himself a permanent spot in the hearts of pan-blue supporters.

Despite the rising tide of support for his continuing in the KMT's top post, many doubt that Lien plans to make another run for party chairman.

The calls for Lien's re-election began early this year, with pan-blue supporters and a number of KMT old guard saying that the party is already facing too many changes to go through a leadership switch.

"In regards to the year-end mayoral and county commissioner elections, only Lien can unite the pan-blue camp to achieve success. To be frank, other people's abilities are too limited," former KMT legislator-at-large Kao Yu-jen (高育仁) said last month.

Given the success of his China trip, says KMT Legislator Hou Tsai-feng (侯彩鳳) -- a Lien re-election supporter -- it is clear that Lien is still needed to lead the nation in cross-strait diplomacy.

"The journey to China was so successful because [Beijing] acknowledged Lien's accomplishments," the lawmaker said on Wednesday, casting doubt on the government's ability to handle cross-strait relations.

Furthermore, Hou said, both Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) -- rivals to succeed Lien -- have other responsibilities related to their positions. Cross-strait relations require someone who can devote all their time to the issue, such as Lien, Hou said.

The small but increasing portion of the pan-blue camp that supports Lien seeking another term has caused consternation within the Ma and Wang camps, as the two men struggle to maintain the image of loyalty to Lien despite their eagerness for the chairman position, which many see as the stepping stone to a pan-blue nomination in the 2008 presidential election.

The differences between Wang and Ma's attitudes toward the calls for Lien to keep his job became evident as early as February, when Ma first made clear his intention to run for the KMT's top post.

While Ma was outspoken from the beginning about running in the party's July 16 election, Wang held off on making public his decision until nearly a month after Ma's announcement.

During that period, Wang was secretive about his intentions, saying only that he supported another Lien run for chairmanship, a claim he maintains to this day.

It seems clear, however, that the growing support for Lien has begun to unnerve Wang.

"If Chairman Lien wants to be chairman again, he will have to enter the election process and make his intentions known soon," Wang said on Thursday, in a rare deviation from his usual automatic assertion of support for Lien.

As their campaigns pick up speed, both Wang and Ma have been careful to acknowledge Lien's supporters while filling their weekends with campaign activities.

Speaking to the Taipei Times on Thursday, Ma's campaign confidante and long-time ally, KMT Legislator Wu Yu-shen (吳育昇) said that the Ma camp respects and acknowledges the portion of the pan-blue camp that loves and supports Lien, but it is determined to continue on.

"The KMT is caring party whose supporters are affectionate and loyal. Lien has become the `spiritual leader' of the pan-blue camp," Wu said.

Of course there will be those who hope he can stay on as chairman, just as there are those who hope Ma and those who hope Wang will become the next chairman," Wu said.

"Lien himself established the democratic, inner-party election processes that are used today. Lien supports those processes, and he approves of the fair competition between Wang and Ma," Wu said, hinting that the Ma camp has already dismissed the possibility of Lien's candidacy.

"When [former president] Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) finished his second term [as KMT chairman] in 2000, there were also many other supporters that called out for him to continue; but his influence has not decreased because he didn't," Wu said.

As for those who say Lien must seek re-election because there is a need for his continued leadership, Wu cited Lien's own comments to rebut their appeal.

"Lien has said that he will be a lifetime KMT volunteer. After he steps down, he can continue to give guidance in cross-strait relations and party reform," Wu said, indicating that he thinks it is time for Lien to relinquish the post.

Lien has said as much himself. In an interview with the China Television Co (CTV) on Thursday, he stressed that while he has no plans to run again at present, it is not because it would be against the KMT's bylaws to do so.

"To be honest, I just never had any thoughts at all about running again," Lien said at the beginning of the CTV interview.

During a phone interview yesterday with Ho Szu-yin (何思因), a political science professor who is director of the KMT's department of overseas affairs, Ho said that he did not think that Lien's trip would affect the rivalry between Wang and Ma.

"Lien is just trying to leave a political legacy through this trip. He has already made it clear he won't run again," Ho said.

"There's nothing there [to change the situation]," Ho said.
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