Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan's
(
He was boring, which is fine, but more seriously, he didn't know what he was talking about and he gave evasive answers.
Lien, called "upright and noble" by some, was ill at ease and showed a complete lack of composure during the two-hour debate.
Clicking his tongue, breathing heavily, standing listlessly and with a dull-witted look on his face at times, he couldn't even keep himself from yawning.
Is Lien getting old, or is this who he really is?
This first performance in a debate by Lien, who has never revealed his true colors to voters, disappointed us deeply.
Little wonder, then, that the pan-blue camp was afraid to accept the debate challenge when it was negotiating with
the media.
Generally speaking, a party in power hopes to minimize, or best of all, completely avoid electoral debates, while the opposition -- the challengers -- want as many debates as possible.
The strange thing in our current political situation is that the pan-blue opposition does not want to debate.
Instead, it is the Democratic Progressive Party that has been pushing forward, eager for more debates.
In the end, Lien is not a fighter and he crumbles as soon as there is a fight.
Being forced on stage in this way, like a lamb to the slaughter, must be hard on Lien.
If People First Party Chairman James Soong (
Incredible as it may seem, Lien once served as vice president, foreign minister, minister of transportation and commu-nications, Taiwan provincial governor and, concurrently with his position as vice president, premier. His power at the time was second only to that of the president.
There was no obligation back then for fair and open debate. In 2000, Lien adamantly refused to participate in any kind of debate, and now he has come to this.
During the Chiang family dictatorship, Lien was merely a minister. He was arrogant, and no one dared suggest that he go to the Legislative Yuan for interpellation sessions, nor were journalists allowed to interview him.
During former president Lee Teng-hui's (
In other words, the public only knew that Lien was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
And although there were no obvious meritorious achievements furnishing his past, there was the impression of "a premier for peace and prosperity."
But what does he believe in? Is he a capable man? In what direction do his policy ideas point? What is his political philosophy?
No one knows for sure, and no one understands.
Thanks to the presidential election, Lien has now revealed all for the people to see.
In one-on-one debates there are no shortcuts, no winning through sheer numbers, no hiding stupidity.
For Lien, who probably has had to do nothing on his own except go to the toilet, this is his first tough fight.
And as a result, everyone now knows who he really is.
Chin Heng-wei is editor in chief of Contemporary Monthly magazine.
Translated by Perry Svensson
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