Although the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) should work together to achieve common political objectives, political analysts yesterday questioned the timing and feasibility of the DPP's proposal to form a political alliance with its much smaller ally.
"It would be a better timing to talk about it when the corruption scandals plaguing the DPP administration have died down or when the pan-blue alliance gains more political ground and threatens the interest of the pan-green camp," said Chao Yung-mau (
The TSU's reservations are understandable, Chao said, because it is afraid of being swallowed by the bigger DPP.
"It also thinks it stands a good chance of winning the year-end mayoral election and even next year's legislative election because of the corruption scandals plaguing the DPP," Chao said.
Worried about the TSU's attitude since party members cast invalid ballots in the legislative vote to recall President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun said on Sunday that his party was willing to forge an alliance with the TSU to contest upcoming elections, adding that the party would not rule out the possibility of merging with the TSU.
The proposed political coalition, dubbed the "Green Justice Alliance," is aimed at cooperating with the TSU in making nominations for upcoming elections with the ultimate goal of ensuring that pro-localization forces remain in power, Yu said.
The TSU, however, was cool to the idea.
TSU Secretary-General Lo Chih-ming (
Lo, who is running in the Kaohsiung mayoral election, said that he would bear the brunt if the two parties were to form a political bloc because he would be blamed for causing division in the pan-green camp if he refused to budge in the mayoral race.
Although two-party politics contributes to political stability, Chao said that healthy cooperation between two political parties must focus on policies rather than individual interests and the consolidation of power.
If the DPP and the TSU decide to sit down and talk, Chao said that the DPP must ensure that the TSU's dignity is upheld and that the problem of corruption will be dealt with.
"It is a matter of give and take," he said. "The DPP must tell the TSU exactly what it will get out of the deal and how it can help the TSU realize its objectives," he said.
The attitude of the TSU's spiritual leader, former president Lee Teng-hui (
"Since Lee is dissatisfied with Chen's performance over the years, the DPP must try to convince Lee that the two parties' cooperation will only help guard Taiwanese autonomy," Chao said. "The DPP must take Lee seriously."
In addition, the DPP must convince its members that they have to give something up to be able to get something in return, and that safeguarding Taiwanese sovereignty and the Chen administration are not the same thing.
Chen Yen-hui (
As a political scientist, Chen Yen-hui said that he was open to the integration of political parties and welcomed the "blue ocean" coffee meeting proposed by Vice President Annette Lu (
"Political parties should be competitors, not enemies," he said. "But I'm afraid that the proposed `Green Justice Alliance' might end up like the talks about the merger of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the People First Party."
Yang Tai-shun (
"Politics is institutionalized social schism," Yang said.
"The DPP's proposal is like putting the cart before the horse because it is very difficult for two parties to talk about cooperation when the division is still there," he said.
If the DPP were reluctant to compromise in the nomination of candidates in future elections, Yang said that the party's overture would be nothing but political talk.
Although the two parties share common political objectives, Yang said that they have very different cross-strait policies and the divergence would make cooperation difficult.
Yang suspected that it was Lee's "strategic consideration" to distance himself from Chen in light of the recent spate of corruption scandals and doubts about the president's leadership.
"It is a typical example of the `lame duck' effect," Yang said. "Lee will have more options in 2008 if he does not maintain a close relationship with Chen."
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