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Jilted KMT legislator Lee threatens '08 election bid

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Sen-zong (李顯榮), who failed to win the KMT's nomination for a Taipei County seat, yesterday threatened to run in the January legislative elections should KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) fail to pursue localization.

Lee told a press conference that localization was in line with mainstream public opinion and that political parties could not afford to ignore it.

"It will be very difficult for the KMT to survive in Taiwan if the KMT does not become a completely pro-localization or pro-Taiwan party -- now or in the future," Lee said.

Lee said the KMT had reached a turning point and questioned whether Ma was running for "president of Taiwan" or "leader of the Taiwan area."

The lawmaker urged Ma to remove the so-called "1992 consensus" and the National Unification Guidelines from the KMT's platform.

"You [Ma] once said the future of Taiwan should be decided by the 23 million Taiwanese. If so, the National Unification Guidelines in the party platform exist in name only ... they should be abolished," Lee said.

"You undertook a `long stay' to get closer to the people. If we do not abolish the guidelines and the `1992 consensus,' doesn't your long stay become a lie? If the people think you are lying, how are you going to run for president?" Lee said.

When approached for comment, KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇), who defeated Lee to win the KMT's nomination in Taipei County's first constituency, said KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) had called him while Lee was holding the press conference.

"[Wu Po-hsiung] said: `Yu-sheng, we need to prepare for a tough battle,'" Wu said, adding that the party headquarters had made its stance on Lee clear.

Wu said Lee might be wooing the pan-green camp.

When asked for comment, Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強), a Ma campaign spokesman, said Lee was expressing his personal opinion.
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