Sat, Oct 28, 2006 page8

• Editorial: The People First Party's red agenda

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  It has long been apparent that the People First Party's (PFP) agenda has nothing to do with serving the interests of this country. So the question becomes this: Whose interests does the party serve?

  It would be easy to write off the PFP as a personality cult designed to flatter the voracious ego and dangerous political ambitions of its chairman, James Soong (宋楚瑜).

  But watching the PFP's legislative caucus this week, it becomes clear that there is another agenda behind the party's actions.

  There has been much speculation on a secret deal between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the PFP last week. Reportedly, this backroom deal involved the PFP blocking a bill on stolen assets designed to divest the KMT of its illicit wealth, while the KMT agreed to block a supplemental budget that would have made a token gesture at procuring several major weapons packages from the US.

  The KMT did indeed block the arms bill, but the PFP did not attempt to block the stolen assets bill. Whether or not there had been a secret agreement, it was clear from the reaction of Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and several other KMT legislators that they had not expected the PFP to back the stolen assets bill.

  So whose interests would be served by the PFP betraying its erstwhile ally? Who has something to gain by keeping Taiwan as defenseless as possible and trying to exacerbate political divisions?

  The clear answer, of course, is China.

  Look at the way the PFP has thrown itself into the campaign to oust President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). Soong has stood before the crowd of red-clad protesters and urged on the unrest.

  And on Double Ten National Day, which party's members caused the greatest disturbance, becoming violent and screaming "depose Chen"? Why, the PFP's, of course.

  Given that the anti-Chen campaign has not been transparent with its finances, the obvious confluence of interest behind its ultimate goals and Beijing's ultimate goals for Taiwan, and given that several of its senior organizers have been traveling to China during the course of the campaign, there is a compelling case to be made.

  And that case is that the real power behind the scenes is not Shih Ming-teh (施明德), a political has-been preoccupied with his swan song, but the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is the only organization that really benefits from the mess.

  The PFP has stood beside these actions all the way, and no one in Taiwan should have any illusions about where Soong's sympathies lie. Just think back to last year, when he was greeted lovingly by the CCP during his tour of China.

  So when members of the KMT act all surprised that their good old friend Soong and his pals would have the audacity to betray them all over again, one can only think: "What did you expect? You're dealing with a snake-oil salesman who has undermined his country's security and democratic development."

  Whatever the KMT wants for Taiwan, it is difficult to see how placing further trust in Soong will achieve those goals. His party is composed of a bunch of extremists and lacks real clout.

  The time has come for the KMT to marginalize the PFP, cut it off, then watch it die.

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