With Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) set to meet today for merger talks with his People First Party (PFP) counterpart James Soong (宋楚瑜), PFP lawmakers yesterday called on Ma to keep in mind the interests of the entire pan-blue alliance rather than the KMT alone.
"If the pan-blue camp is what Ma bears in his mind, it is easy to talk about other things," said PFP Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄). "The meeting will be meaningless and a waste of time if the only thing that is on his mind is his own party's interests."
Liu said that although he does not oppose a KMT-PFP merger, he would personally suffer from a "split personality" if he joined the KMT now. Liu just lost the Keelung mayor race to the KMT incumbent, Hsu Tsai-li (許財利).
Liu said that it would be more practical for Ma and Soong to discuss how to cooperate in certain areas, such as cross-strait policy, rather than how to win the next presidential election.
When asked whether Soong is keen on returning to the KMT fold, Liu said that he is not in the position to answer for Soong. Liu, however, grumbled about the current "Ma Ying-jeou phenomenon," saying that it creates a "one party monopoly" and that it seems as if whoever dares to sing a different tune is subject to condemnation.
Liu also called on Ma to accept the six-point communique reached between Soong and Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) during Soong's trip to China in May.
Among the six-points in the communique, the PFP and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) agreed on the importance of resuming cross-strait negotiations on the basis of the "1992 consensus." The "1992 consensus" refers to an unwritten understanding reached between negotiators for Taipei and Beijing to hold talks on the basis of the "one China" principle, while agreeing to disagree on what that term meant.
The communique also added a new term -- "two sides of the strait, one China" -- which the statement said highlighted the specific oral descriptions by the two sides' negotiators. The PFP and CCP also agreed on their common opposition to formal independence for Taiwan, and a plan to pursue the peaceful stabilization of the Taiwan Strait.
PFP Legislator Wu Ching-chih (吳清池) yesterday added that a KMT-PFP merger should not be considered a takeover of the PFP.
"To merge two political parties is a very complicated and time-consuming undertaking because it requires thorough and detailed discussion and negotiation," he said. "Although many people are vigorously talking about it, it takes a tremendous amount of sincerity, wisdom and time to reach the ultimate goal."
In response to the PFP's calls, Ma yesterday said that he would demonstrate the utmost sincerity and goodwill while talking with Soong today.
As the KMT's Central Standing Committee reached a consensus on merging with the PFP on May 19, Ma said that there will be no limitation to their discussion topics today.
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