In what was widely seen as heavy-handed and by some as a sign of desperation, President Lee Teng-hui (
Speaking off the cuff at a rally in front of KMT headquarters in Taipei to mark "100 days of battle" before the presidential election next March, Lee savaged Soong and his campaign theme, saying: "A very small number of party traitors are doing everything they can to undermine the basis of party politics and democracy, by employing Nazi means, which they call `non party' politics."
Lee did not refer to Soong by name, but the target of his vitriol was clear.
"He uses beautiful words like `listening to the people's voice' and `breathing with the people,' but he is merely playing at being generous by squandering people's tax money," Lee said.
Lee also accused Soong of cheating people by remaining ambiguous on major issues.
"Some person always say he loves Taiwan, and that he wants `three [direct] links' [with China]. He tells foreigners that he objects to joining organizations like the UN and the TMD [theater missile defense], but he tells a different story to our own people," Lee said.
"He should make it crystal clear about whether he loves our country, whether he agrees with `special state-to-state relations' [with China]," Lee said.
Lee's accusations were echoed by Vice President Lien Chan (
"Some people would simply not take a clear position on matters of life and death for our people," Lien said.
Before the rally, the KMT's central standing committee endorsed the party disciplinary committee's decision earlier this week to expel 21 Soong supporters.
Referring to the move, Lee said the KMT has been carrying out reforms and going forward, but that some people with "vested inter-ests" were obstructing reform and progress.
"These are the most conservative ... coat-turning political opportunists, who have enjoyed the lion's share of benefits. They deserved to be expelled from the party," Lee said.
The now-former KMT lawmakers wasted no time in counterattacking.
"We don't have `vested interests.' We are vested with a mandate from the people. And we are the real reformers," said legislator Roy Chou (周錫
Soong himself, however, did not directly counter Lee's accusations. But his spokesman, Yen Jung-chang (
Soong, who was on a campaign tour in eastern Taitung, told supporters that people would not trust the KMT if it does not reform itself.
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