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KMT proposes `two-in-one' election

A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators yesterday proposed the idea of a "two-in-one election," suggesting that next year's 2007 legislative election and the 2008 presidential election should be held at the same time, in January 2008.

Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) said the proposal was devised as a means of avoiding the cost of holding two national elections in the space of four months.

However, some outside the KMT dismissed the proposal as a way for the pan-blue legislators to ride on the coattails of KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), widely touted as the party's presidential candidate in 2008.

Under the KMT's proposal, the two-in-one election would be held on Jan. 19, 2008. This would mean postponing the legislative election, currently scheduled for December next year, and advancing the date of the presidential election, currently scheduled for late March 2008.

"Although it is true that a two-in-one election would favor the KMT, this is not the motive behind the suggestion," Wu said.

Wu said that reducing the number of elections was in keeping the public's expectations.

"In addition to reducing costs, the proposal might also help the government to avoid having to reshuffle the Cabinet twice in a short space of time," he said.

The People First Party (PFP) legislative caucus said that it would not be against the idea as long as it was not specifically devised to favor a particular political party.

However, PFP caucus whip Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) criticized the KMT for bringing up a proposal that served its own interests.

Given that the PFP might not have its own presidential candidate in the 2008 election, Lee said that the change would have a negative influence on his party's chances in the legislative election.

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said that he would support the proposal if all political parties reached consensus on the matter.

"At the moment it seems that the proposal would benefit only the KMT, but it is difficult to predict which party might benefit from this idea in one year's time" Wang said.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Chen Chin-jun (陳景峻) said that as long as the public supported the two-in-one elections and the new electoral system could be tied in with constitutional system, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was willing to accept it.

Chen Chin-jun said DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun recently canvassed party legislators for their opinions on the matter. As far as he knew, legislators had conflicting views on the proposal, he said.

"The legislative caucus will have the final say on the new electoral system," he said.

"It is still difficult to predict who will win the next presidential election and the KMT cannot believe that a two-in-one election will help it win," Chen Chin-jun said.

"As long as the DPP performs well in the next two years, we still have good chance to win the presidential election," he said.

The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) said it opposed the two-in-one elections and suspected the KMT's motives.

"The pan-blue camp just wants to boost its legislators' campaign momentum through the presidential election, which it believes it is certain of winning," TSU caucus whip David Huang (黃適卓) said yesterday.

Huang said that although a two-in-one election might save some money, it could also cause some problems.

According to the constitutional system, the president is authorized to dismiss the legislature. Similarly, the legislature has the power to recall the president, Huang said.

"If the legislature was dismissed, a re-election would have to be held. Therefore I think it makes no sense to merge the two elections," Huang said.
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