Taiwan's biggest business group and a major driver of the nation's economy -- the Chinese National Federation of Industries (CNFI,
The vote carries significant meaning: In some ways, the organization's members will decide whether the group, which traditionally has had strong KMT ties, would better function as a bridge between the government and industries.
The question is on the minds of many of the business group's members, especially in light of Chen Shui-bian's (
Meanwhile, there will also be a reshuffling of the Federation's directors and supervisors.
The three leading candidates include Sun Dao-tsun (孫道存), chairman of Pacific Cable and Wire (太平洋電線電纜集團) and Taiwan Cellular Corp (台灣大哥大), one of the nation's top mobile phone operators.
Sun's two rivals are Lin Kun-chung (林坤鐘), chairman of Sino-Japan (中日集團), and Alfred Chen (陳飛龍), Chairman of Namchow Chemical Industrial Co Ltd (南僑化學工業股份有限公司).
All three are KMT members.
CNFI is an umbrella group covering 140 business associations nationwide, representing almost every industrial sector in Taiwan. Members range from from traditional food and textile makers to high-tech companies.
The Federation, along with the General Chamber of Commerce (全國商業總會) and the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce (工商協進會), are Taiwan's top three business groups. The heads of each group are also members of the KMT's Central Standing Committee, which sets party policy.
The three groups in the past have served as powerful organs in get-out-the-vote efforts for the KMT. One board director, who asked not to be identified, said that the KMT had formally given the Federation NT$100 million in subsidies annually.
Incumbent chairman C.Y. Kao (
"Even though the KMT is not the ruling party, KMT legislators remain the majority and can pressure the new government if it does not show support for the Federation," Lin added.
Alfred Chen told Taipei Times that the Federation must change in order to face possible competition from other industrial associations.
Change would help secure the Federation's position as a force to be reckoned with and would give it credibility with the new government, Chen said.
In addition, he said, the group should shed its past as a political party organ.
Meanwhile, Chen said assisting traditional industries was a top priority, especially when considering Taiwan's anticipated WTO entry. With Taiwan's WTO membership card comes increased competition at home.
During the campaign for chairman and other posts, there had been reports of lobbying and bribe taking by candidates and the KMT.
"The election progress has been so degraded that I decided not to run for any board director post this time," said Richard Wu (
Wu also heads the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manu-facturers Association (TEEMA), which has about 4,600 members, mostly small and medium-sized businesses.
Wu said TEEMA hasn't ruled out the possibility of withdrawing its membership from the Federation if politics continues to get in the way of business.
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