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Number Six -- KMT Expels Lee

By Lin Mei-chun
STAFF REPORTER
Sunday, Dec 30, 2001, Page 4

Lee Teng-hui was expelled from his party, the KMT. TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO

On Sept. 21, the KMT expelled its former leader Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), who became the country's first elected president in 1996 and now mocks his former party's leaders as betrayers of the people.

Lee is the first former chairman to be ousted from the party in its 107-year history.

The party revoked Lee's membership on the grounds that he had violated party rules by openly endorsing the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), a newly formed rival political group.

They also cited what they called his brazen attacks on the KMT leadership.

The 78-year-old Lee, who worked to foster an identity for Taiwan distinct from China, was upset with what he felt was KMT infidelity to the localization policies he worked to implement during his 12 years in power.

A former party chairman who stepped down after the KMT's defeat in last year's presidential election, Lee denounced the current KMT leaders for "selling out" Taiwan to Beijing.

He also blamed the party for obstructing the legislature's work.

But the final straw for the KMT was Lee's support of the TSU. The KMT saw Lee's move as an intolerable, open challenge to the party.

The former president said the TSU's ideals were consistent with his own and vowed to help the young party win seats in the Dec. 1 legislative elections.

While he does not hold a formal position within the TSU, Lee is viewed as the party's spiritual leader.

With Lee's endorsement and tireless stumping, the 3-month-old party won 13 legislative seats in the polls, becoming the fourth-largest party in the lawmaking body.

Lee said the party's triumph showed that mainstream opinion supports the idea that Taiwan is independent from China.
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