The pan-blue camp's lack of a clear discourse on cross-strait issues was highlighted during the recent uproar over the National Unification Council (NUC), local political observers said.
President Chen Shui-bian (
In reaction, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) proposed a motion in the legislature to recall Chen, and the People First Party (PFP) proposed a motion to impeach the president.
Under current regulations, both motions need the approval of two-thirds of the legislature.
As the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) holds more than one-third of the seats in the legislature, it is practically impossible for either motion to be passed.
Ku Chung-hwa (
"Both motions are merely symbolic, and the pan-blue camp knows it. There isn't much they can do with regard to this issue," Ku told the Taipei Times.
KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
Kao Yuang-kuang (
But the opposition should also take the opportunity to update its cross-strait discourse and to reflect the will of its "middle-course" stance, he said.
"Cross-strait relations are constantly changing and new interpretations are necessary. The so-called `1992 consensus,' for example, drew great controversy, and so it would be good for the pan-blues to come up with a new discourse," he said.
According to the KMT, the `1992 consensus' means that there is "one China, with each side having its own interpretation," but the government refuses to recognize the existence of such a "consensus," claiming that it never appeared in any official letters exchanged between China and Taiwan.
Ku said the issue of the NUC provided an opportunity for the pan-blue camp to redefine its cross-strait stance and policy.
"The pan-blue camp needs to answer a question: What does its unification discourse mean? Does it mean that Taiwan should unify China? Or that Taiwan is to be unified by China?" Ku said.
As the opposition leader, Ma's recent contradictory rhetoric -- from "unification with China is the ultimate goal of the KMT" to "independence is an option for Taiwan's future" to "Taiwan should maintain the status quo" -- probably best illustrates the party's need for a distinct cross-strait discourse to make clear what the KMT really stands for, Ku said.
"Ma stumbled over the NUC issue and made his party and other pan-blue allies look bad. He must develop clearer opinions on the party's stance on cross-strait relations if he is to continue as the opposition leader," Ku said.
Emile Sheng (
De jure independence would require amending the Statute Governing the Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (
With the opposition parties holding a majority in the legislature, Kao said it is unnecessary for them to enter into a debate over the issue of de facto independence with the president.
As to speculation that Chen's decision on the NUC was prompted by his desire to boost his own reputation and the strength of the DPP ahead of the year-end elections, critics said the public's disappointment with both parties made it hard to tell if either had benefited.
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