A s an atmosphere of shock and disappointment settled in at the KMT's campaign headquarters last night, Lien Chan (
Lien said he "felt sorry" for his supporters, because the embarrassing loss had disappointed those who had high expectations of him.
"After the defeat, I should deeply reflect [on] and self-examine [the causes]. It was my less-than-sufficient endeavors that led to the setback," the incumbent vice president said.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Also shouldering blame for the KMT rout was KMT Secretary-general Huang Kun-huei (
On behalf of the party headquarters, Huang said he respected the Taiwanese people's decision and attributed the loss to a split KMT, adding that the party will speed up its pace of reform to win back the people's hearts.
During Lien's brief remarks, he offered conciliatory words to his erstwhile DPP rivals. "I would like to congratulate Chen Shui-bian (
He also spelled out his expectations for Chen as the country's new leader. "Faced with the current intricate situation, I hope that you will lead Taiwan into a new phase with open-mindedness and a new way of thinking," he said.
Lien said he respected the result of the election as the expression of the will of the people, adding that the smooth election process marked another watershed in Taiwan's democratization.
Lien also used the opportunity to try and lift the decidedly low morale of KMT members. The KMT vice chairman said his party has had a glorious tradition and has made concrete achievements as the ruling party in Taiwan, urging his party comrades to not lose heart after their defeat.
"We should restart again immediately, so that we'll regain support and approval from the people in Taiwan," he said.
After Lien himself acknowledged failure, chairman of the campaign committee Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) -- also the speaker of the Legislative Yuan -- said that it was still too early to make an accurate analysis of the failure. However, he said that according to their preliminary assessments, "there appeared unexpected variables in final days, especially the 'Shi Wen-lung (
Lee, president of Academia Sinica, and Hsu, president of Chi Mei and a close friend of President Lee Teng-hui (
"On the other hand, rumors of a `dump Lien and save Soong' effect, as well as `dump Lien and save Chen,' had been widely spread," Wang said.
Jason Hu (胡志強), Lien's campaign manager, also said that "it is not to be denied that there was a large gap between the real outcome and [our] expectation."
Hu insisted that according to a number of polls and research conducted by the KMT's camp, Lien has had the highest popularity rating among the candidates since March 8.
"However, according to the law, publication of poll results are banned during the ten days leading up to election day. Therefore, the message was not received by the public. Instead, people kept the old image that Lien was behind other candidates and this wrong message made them dump Lien," Hu said.
Hu denied the party organization has poor coordination.
Both Wang and Hu claimed responsibility for the party's landslide defeat, saying that Lien was himself an outstanding candidate and leader and that they, as campaign chiefs, failed to get him elected by the voters. Hu, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that he would withdraw from politics for a while.
When asked if the results indicated that the KMT's organizational mobilization system -- the party's most powerful weapon in elections -- had broken down, Wang did not directly answer the question.
"The scale of our organizational mobilization was unprecedented this time, and we made a huge effort," Wang said.
He added that the lack of success in yesterday's presidential election -- despite the KMT's organizational mobilization -- was reminiscent of the KMT's defeat in Taipei mayoral election in 1994, which Chen Shui-bian also won.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS