Last week, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) submitted an application to the Taipei City Government to hold a campaign rally on Ketagelan Boulevard on the eve of the elections, as part of his bid for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairmanship.
This last-ditch effort by Wang is directed at Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), the other contender in the chairmanship election, and aims to question Ma's actions in dispersing the crowds that gathered on Ketagelan Boulevard following last year's presidential election, as well as draw together the KMT's "deep-blue" rank and file.
The point is whether Ma's actions in dispersing the crowd at that time have any bearing on the KMT chairmanship election campaigns.
Thus, Ma has been reluctant to touch on the issue, and has instead only made the comment that, "Whoever takes people into the street should know when to send them home as well."
Despite the election to select a new chairman, the KMT remains unable to shake off its alien nature, and the campaign continues to revolve around two core elements: One is the issue of ethnicity and the other is unification ideology.
Clearly, the importance of the former is prevailing over the latter during this election campaign.
As for one's image, ability and charisma, most only consider these to be petty conditions that any candidate needs to possess, and that these are not significant enough to outweigh the core campaign elements.
Ma, who possesses the two core elements -- the right ethnicity and unification ideology -- is unlikely to lose the race.
Wang, who was born in Taiwan, is working to strengthen his pro-unification position to get elected.
Wang has moved to distance himself from former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), vowing not to seek Taiwan's independence and stressing that he would not seek to change the national title or write a new constitution.
He even expressed willingness to follow in the footsteps of KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
This is a passive approach.
A more active approach is Wang's criticism of Ma for being "wishy-washy" in dealing with the mass rallies and protests that followed last year's presidential election.
Holding a mass rally on Ketagelan Boulevard on the eve of the chairmanship election might in fact give him a boost, by telling all the blues that he is representative of "orthodox blue," effectively doing away with Ma.
Clearly, Wang has been utilizing the pro-unification ideology as part of an attempt to counter Ma's status as an important figure representing Mainlanders.
However, Ma has toed the correct political line by inviting retired generals such as Hau Pei-tsun (
In short, whichever candidate possesses the two core campaign elements will win the chairmanship.
That is why Ma seems confident, while Wang has continued to alter his tactics as different opportunities present themselves.
Tomorrow, the results of the election will indicate whether the KMT is going to change or not.
Chin Heng-wei is editor-in-chief of Contemporary Monthly magazine.
TRANSLATED BY DANIEL CHENG
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