Five of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairperson candidates put on a united front yesterday, attending a two-hour policy presentation forum in Taipei organized by the party’s legislative caucus.
The only contender to miss the event was KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), who on Sunday officially announced she would seek re-election.
Hung had previously said yesterday’s forum was unnecessary, given that the party’s headquarters had planned two televised policy presentations ahead of the May 20 election.
Photo: Chu Pei-Hsiung, Taipei Times
Against the backdrop of the patriotic Chinese song Unity is Strength (團結就是力量), former KMT vice chairman Steve Chan (詹啟賢), KMT Vice Chairman and former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), former vice president Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), former KMT lawmaker Pan Wei-kang (潘維剛) and former Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Co general manager Han Kuo-yo (韓國瑜) were each given time to present their views and policy plans before taking questions from a panel of six KMT lawmakers and then giving closing statements.
KMT caucus convener Sufin Siluko (廖國棟) said the caucus decided to hold the forum two months ago because the chairperson election has been embroiled in conflicts over the “dummy party members” scandal and a controversy over the tightened election thresholds for party representatives.
“It was our hope that this forum could get the KMT chairperson race out of the mud it has been in and help realign the focus on actual policy issues concerning the public,” he said.
The five candidates all gave a positive answer when KMT Legislator Yosi Takun (孔文吉) asked if they planned to pursue further cross-strait relations based on the so-called “1992 consensus” and continue the party’s annual forum with Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Chan said although some Taiwanese are fed up with the “1992 consensus,” the consensus has proven to be the “most effective treatment option” for cross-strait ties in the past two decades.
“It is true that cross-strait ties are a dynamic rather than a stagnant relationship, one that needs to advance with the times amid the versatile triangle Taiwan-US-China ties. However, we should explore other possibilities based on this basis, such as signing a peace accord,” Chan said.
Hau said the consensus was an indispensable component of peaceful cross-strait ties, although he suggested that the KMT and the CCP designate representatives to create a new channel of communications.
Wu said the “consensus” was the fruit of strenuous efforts between Taipei and Beijing and it should not be easily abandoned.
Pan said that she was open to all ideas that are conducive to cross-strait development.
Describing Taiwan as “a pretty damsel that is dating the US, China and Japan simultaneously,” Han said that the nation cannot afford to upset any of the three.
The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and CCP that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means. Former Mainland Affairs Council chairman and KMT lawmaker Su Chi (蘇起) said in 2006 that he had made up the term in 2000 when he was head of the council.
Some of the candidates proposed several policies when asked how they intended to respond to the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) plan to cultivate younger politicians by having young people run in local councilor races next year.
The KMT should dedicate a fixed portion of its campaign funds to younger candidates and ask party members who have served as a regional legislator for three terms or more to step down to provide an opportunity for younger party members, Hau said.
Wu said he would seek to cultivate young people who are competent, have a global perspective and have never betrayed the KMT.
Chan said that the KMT needed to remove the signature thresholds for young members who want to run for a party position.
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