Sat, Oct 20, 2001 page3

• Political parties highlight their differences

  LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS Although they banded together earlier to oppose the DPP, the KMT, People First Party and New Party are telling voters they are not so alike after all

  • By Stephanie Low / STAFF REPORTER
  • • 
    • 
    • 

  The nation's opposition parties -- which earlier joined hands to oppose the DPP in the legislature -- now find themselves struggling to accentuate their differences as the Dec. 1 elections approach.

  A shared ideology brought the KMT, People First Party and the New Party together to oppose the DPP on issues such as the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.

  But now with the legislative elections just around the corner -- which analysts say will be the most competitive ever, with 458 candidates vying for 176 constituency-based seats -- the three parties are looking for ways to convince voters that they're not so alike after all.

  `Force For Stability'

  The KMT, the largest party in the legislature, is hoping to maintain their position and is attempting to sell itself as the party that can turn Taiwan's economic troubles around.

  The party says it's the "force for stability" in Taiwan.

  Justin Chou (周守訓), assistant director-general of the KMT's Culture and Communications Affairs Committee, said the party would vigorously refute claims that the party is a troublemaker.

  In particular, the KMT in its campaign messages plans to go after the DPP, which has branded the KMT as the source of troubles in the legislature.

  "President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has disregarded his position as the head of state, lashing out at the opposition parties," Chou said. "The KMT won't be a coward."

  Chou said a main theme of the KMT's campaign will be to attack the DPP for its "incompetence" in governing the country and its responsibility for the worsening economy.

  In addition to launching a series of TV commercials that address the DPP's claims that the KMT is a troublemaker, the party plans to form an "economic issues campaign troupe."

  The purpose of the traveling show is to tour the county to pitch the KMT as the only experienced party in Taiwan and convince the electorate of its ability to rescue the economy.

  The group will consist of former Cabinet ministers, led by Chiang Ping-kun (江丙坤), head of the party's think tank and a former chairman of the Council of Economic Planning and Development.

  The Middle Party

  On the controversial cross-strait issue, the KMT plans to position itself as being in the middle of the political spectrum.

  On one side is the the DPP and Taiwan Solidarity Union, with their pro-independence leanings. On the other is the PFP and the New Party, which are pro-unification.

  According to KMT Secretary-general Lin Fong-cheng (林豐正), the party is positioned in the middle of the unification-independence spectrum -- a check against the pro-independence camp, but not as pro-unification as the PFP and New Party.

  Clear Choices

  "Such distinctions will offer very clear choices for the voters," Lin said.

  Though the PFP and KMT are alike in more ways than they are dissimilar -- the party is made up of former KMT members loyal to Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) -- the PFP says it's categorically different from the KMT.

  The PFP's campaign message is that voters should pick "the best" party -- not "the largest party."

  At many campaign rallies, Soong has told voters that while both the KMT and PFP are followers of the doctrines of Sun Yat-sen (孫中山), his party nonetheless is the better choice.

  On Wednesday, the PFP launched two TV commercials featuring Soong and Vice Chairman Chang Chao-hsiung (張昭雄) aimed at highlighting party differences. The pair tell voters that "a little difference makes a big difference."

  "We hope the series of commercials will inform voters about the quality services the PFP can offer, to win their support with the concept of efficiency and ethnic harmony," said party spokesman Liao Tsang-song (廖蒼松).

  And in a move many believe is an attempt to bolster the candidacies of PFP legislative hopefuls, the party has nominated Soong as its 11th legislator-at-large candidate.

  The hope is that voters will cast their ballots for PFP legislative candidates to ensure that Soong wins a legislator-at-large seat.

  Legislator-at-large seats are based on a party's overall share of constituency-based seats.

  But there's one group of voters that the PFP may not be successful in courting this year: the anti-Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) vote.

  The KMT -- which ousted the former president from the party earlier this year and has harshly criticized him since -- may have a lock on the many anti-Lee voters who did not want to vote for the party during the former president's 12 years in office.

  The New Party -- also made up of former KMT members dissatisfied with Lee's leadership -- is struggling to survive.

  The party has a limited support base and the appeal and image of many of the New Party's candidates are too similar to its PFP brethren.

  Picking Candidates

  According to New Party spokesman Kao Hsin-wu (高新武), the party's campaign message is that voters should "pick the best candidates instead of parties."

  "What the people want is to see the DPP step down," Kao said. "It doesn't matter under which party banner the candidates are running."

  Kao said he was confident voters would choose the party's "quality" candidates.

  But if the New Party fails to win more than 5 percent of the vote, it will be cut off from vital government campaign subsidies -- adding financial troubles to its political woes.
• Most Popular

  • 1

    US to deliver 10 new F-16s, source says

  • 2

    Taiwan blacklists Huawei and SMIC

  • 3

    Ma Ying-jeou’s forum speech regrettable, MAC says

  • 4

    Coco Gauff falls in Berlin after French Open victory

  • 5

    Costa Rica sent officials to train in Taipei, report says