Fri, Feb 22, 2002 page3

• KMT-PFP alliance may be challenged

  BEDFELLOWS Although the pan-blue parties have been getting along like chums, several issues could undermine the relationship, according to analysts

  • By Stephanie Low / STAFF REPORTER
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  Though the KMT and PFP have been consummate bedfellows since agreeing to cooperate after the Dec. 1 legislative elections, numerous political developments could threaten the relationship, analysts say.

  While the two share the same pro-China ideology, the PFP and KMT don't agree on all the issues.

  In addition, there's the rising star of KMT member and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who may be a contender for the presidency in 2004 against PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜).

  "The opposition and ruling party differ on as many as 90 percent of the issues, which makes it rather natural for the two opposition parties to cooperate," said Emile Sheng (盛治仁), an assistant professor of political science at Soochow University.

  Still, that doesn't mean that the KMT and PFP will always see eye to eye.

  In addition to reform issues, Sheng said, conflicts could arise over a DPP proposal to investigate the KMT's assets and return to the government property that was stolen by the former ruling party.

  "The real test comes only when there are cases concerning partisan interests," Sheng said. "This kind of test hasn't occurred so far."

  After the DPP became the largest party in the legislature as a result of the Dec. 1 elections, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and Soong agreed to cooperate to oppose the DPP. Together the two parties control 114 seats, 12 more than the pan-green camp consisting of the DPP and TSU.

  The first occasion to test out their relationship came last month, when the KMT tapped the PFP for help in passing changes to the Law Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures. The changes -- proposed by Taipei Mayor Ma -- would have given local governments more money from central government coffers and were passed in the previous legislature.

  PFP lawmakers threw their support behind the amendments after Ma called Soong personally for support.

  The two parties were also successful in obtaining the posts of legislative speaker and vice speaker for KMT members -- despite the KMT's minority status. In this case, the PFP's concession that it wouldn't vie for the posts was instrumental.

  And in this week's showdown with the Cabinet over Ma's budget allocation changes, the KMT and PFP managed to muster 109 votes in favor of keeping the amendments in place.

  Although that was four votes short of the 113 needed to win the day, the two parties still garnered six more votes than the pan-green camp.

  The Cabinet was able to shoot down Ma's amendments because KMT and PFP no-shows failed to cast ballots.

  These instances of cooperation between the pan-blue parties has led to optimism about further cooperation in the year-end Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral elections.

  Another area of possible cooperation -- or conflict -- may be the 2004 presidential race. It has been widely speculated that Soong has given his support to the KMT in exchange for a favor from Ma -- namely that he finish the second term as mayor that he seeks instead of running for the presidency.

  The Taipei mayor is the KMT's best hope of winning back the nation's highest office, and he has scored higher approval ratings than Soong in some public polls.

  But while KMT-PFP cooperation is working fine for now, Sheng doubts whether chummy relations can be maintained until 2004. One factor is that Ma's desire to seek the presidency may increase with his political popularity.

  Even if the two parties cooperate in elections later this year, that could be threatened by defections of KMT members who would rather run under the PFP banner for city council posts, Sheng said.

  Liao Da-chi (廖達琪), a professor of political science at National Sun Yat-sen University, agreed, saying the two parties still have a lot of differences to iron out.

  But Liao said political reality would force the KMT and PFP to get along.

  "The reality is that unless they cooperate with each other, the KMT and PFP won't be able to share even a single piece of the pie," Liao said. "Under such pressure, the two parties will still have to work out ways to try to overcome their differences, despite all the difficulties."
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