Sat, Jun 19, 2004 page1

• `If I'm a woodpecker, Lien's a worm,' Chiu declares

  • By Huang Tai-lin and Debby Wu / STAFF REPORTERS
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  Dissatisfied with his party's slow pace of reform, a rank-and-file Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) member yesterday launched a devastating criticism of the party's leadership.

  Chiu Teh-hung (邱德宏), played on a metaphor used by party Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) to invite intraparty criticism by using a triad of "worm" monikers to symbolize the systemic flaws of the KMT.

  Last week, Lien told party members not to fear the recent calls for reform by some KMT members, saying that party members who were calling for change were like woodpeckers removing worms of corruption from the healthy wood of the KMT tree.

  Chiu, an outspoken member of a group of young KMT members that calls itself the Blue Eagle Warriors (藍鷹戰將), yesterday turned Lien's metaphor around. Chiu said that he was indeed a woodpecker, but Lien was one of the "three worms" that must be removed to keep the KMT tree healthy. He lambasted the KMT leader as "a lazy worm," or lan-duo chung (懶惰蟲), to his face.

  He then continued his entomological oration by branding party Secretary-General Lin Feng-cheng (林豐正) a "caterpillar," or mao-mao chung (毛毛蟲). Although it was not immediately clear what this reference could mean, some analysts interpreted it as an assertion that Lin clung to his re-election hopes like a caterpillar to a twig.

  Chiu, who serves as the chief of staff for the vice speaker of the Miaoli County Council, made the comments in the presence of Lien and Lin as Lien made a "thanksgiving tour" of Miaoli yesterday afternoon. During the tour, a forum was set up for grassroots members to express their opinions.

  Chiu concluded his attack by calling the party's top leadership "parasites," or chi-sheng chung (寄生蟲). Chiu asserted that the KMT leadership was focused on contesting the presidential election re-election, while ignoring internal reform.

  Although Lien didn't appear angry, he did not respond to Chiu's criticism.

  Lin, however, said that Chiu "is just a kid," and added that he was not upset by Chiu's remarks.

  Meanwhile, various voices were again raised in opposition to the merger of the KMT and People First Party (PFP), after Lien said two days ago that there was no timetable for the merger, and that the most important issue now is the legislative elections.

  Legislator Hsu Chung-hsiung (徐中雄), who is also a central standing committee member, said that the merger was approved because some legislators were trying to please the party's leaders by repeating what the leaders said, while ignoring the voices from the grassroots.

  "I would suggest the party headquarters re-evaluate the necessity of merging and talk about whether there is a need for merging after the election," Hsu said.

  Legislator Hsu Shu-po (許舒博), also a central standing committee member, said that he had proposed talking about the merger after the election.

  "But Secretary-General Lin said that the merger would be completed in July. He was writing a bad check when he said he was certain of a thing that was actually uncertain," Hsu said.

  "It's great!" Legislator Lwo Shih-hsiung (羅世雄) said, after hearing Lien's statement that there was no timetable for the merger.

  "If the merger is delayed, the election will become easier for the KMT," Lwo said.
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