Sat, Mar 25, 2000 page2

• Soong's party to hold direct election

  NEW PATH The newly named party vows to `put people first' by directly electing its first chairman

  • By Erin Prelypchan / STAFF REPORTER
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  Members of KMT breakaway James Soong's (宋楚瑜) political party have decided to directly elect their chairman, in an apparent bid to distinguish themselves from the defeated KMT.

  "The party's members will directly elect their chairman," said Soong campaign manager and former Judicial Yuan president Liu Sung-pan (劉松藩) following the party's first meeting yesterday.

  Soong, who was expelled from the KMT after launching an independent presidential bid last year, has repeatedly criticized his former party's procedures as "undemocratic." He and his supporters argue that he would have won the KMT nomination if the party had allowed its members to choose their official candidate.

  

  James Soong's campaign running mate, Chang Chao-hsiung, second from left, and former Judicial Yuan president Liu Sung-pan, second from right, announce yesterday the name of their new political party, called the "People First Party."

  PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

  KMT Chairman Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) -- who quit his post yesterday under pressure to take responsibility for the party's resounding election defeat -- nominated Vice President Lien Chan (連戰) to be the party's candidate.

  Following last week's election results, a growing number of grassroots members and legislators have echoed Soong's criticism of the KMT's procedures.

  Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and top Lien campaign official Chen Shei-saint (陳學聖) are just a few of the prominent KMT members to advocate massive reform -- including a direct election of Lee's successor as chairman.

  Ma, Chen and many of the party faithful blame the KMT's election defeat on the growing distance between the grassroots and its leadership.

  In last week's presidential election, KMT candidate Lien won 2.9 million votes to Soong's 4.7 million. The KMT has 2 million registered members.

  "Where are our members?" Ma asked on Sunday.

  Ma and Chen said a direct chairmanship election should be top priority for a general congress to be held within the next few months.

  As Soong and the KMT battle for party members, the issue of intraparty democracy could prove to be a hot issue.

  Soong's camp decided to upgrade its populist image with a name change they said better reflects their ideals: the "People First Party" (親民黨).

  Soong, however, remains coy about whether he will chair his new party.

  Yesterday, the United Evening News reported that Soong did not plan to act as temporary chairman, and that he wanted to be an "ordinary member."

  "There is a good chance that the temporary chairman and the directly elected one will be different people," said Soong campaign staffer Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋) following the meeting yesterday. He declined to comment on who the temporary or permanent candidates would be.

  There is a place for Soong whatever he decides to do, Liu said yesterday.

  "Mr Soong will definitely be doing important political work for the party ... if he wants to be chairman, we won't argue," Liu said.

  The party will choose a temporary chairman after the National Assembly elections in May, Liu said.
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