The KMT recently held a press conference to announce its decision not to pursue an indictment against James Soong (
Is the Soong case now ended because the KMT wants to wash it hands of it? Not necessarily. The spokesperson for the KMT legal team, Chang Nai-liang (
Interestingly, the reason cited by the KMT for not pursuing an indictment was that its members thought that if they continued to dwell on disputes surrounding the case, the KMT would forever remain trapped in the past. This argument is, of course, politically motivated and has nothing whatsoever to do with the truth. The true message is that KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) had opened the door of friendship for Soong. What immediately comes to mind is the connection between the decision and the two parties cooperating in the year-end elections.
The People's First Party and the KMT have been the fiercest of rivals so far. So the explanation of an alliance is not that realistic. A more plausible explanation is that Lien is trying to warm up to KMT members close to Soong for next month's direct election of KMT chairman. The number of KMT members who have re-registered their membership is said to be close to 1 million. How many belong to the Lien camp, to Soong's? The KMT knows only too well. No wonder Lien did not dare to pursue Soong's indictment.
Chin Heng-wei is editor in chief of Contemporary Monthly magazine.
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