Sun, Aug 10, 2003 page3

• KMT head praises Chiang Ching-kuo, slams president

  • By Sandy Huang / STAFF REPORTER
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  While reminiscing about late-president Chiang Ching-kuo's (蔣經國) achievements, pan-blue alliance leaders yesterday criticized the DPP administration's economic policy as one lacking broad vision and keeping too close to business interests.

  KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) made the remarks at a symposium co-organized by the Foundation for a Modern Legal System and the KMT-run think tank the National Policy Foundation. The stated purpose of the symposium was to hold discussions evaluating economic policies under the rule of Chiang Ching-kuo.

  Chiang Ching-kuo inherited the reins of power following the death of his father, former president Chiang Kai-shek, (蔣介石) in 1975 and ruled until his own death in 1988. The pan-blue camp gives Chiang the younger much of the credit for Taiwan's transformation from dusty backwater to an economic powerhouse.

  In a bid to bolster its support in the runup to next March's presidential election, the pan-blue camp, which looks to Chiang Ching-kuo as its spiritual leader, has been attempting to cash in on Chiang's image and public nostalgia for the old days when the economy was doing well.

  Listing Chiang Ching-kuo's legacy, Lien said that the most impressive achievement was Chiang Ching-kuo's courage to take responsibility in the face of setbacks such as the loss of the UN seat in 1971, termination of official diplomatic ties with the US in 1979 and the oil crises in 1973 and 1979.

  With that said, Lien insinuated President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was one who "likes to put blame on anyone else except himself."

  "We should look up to Chiang [the younger] as an model to [teach us]. not to let administrative decisions be dictated by political considerations," Lien told his audience, among which included several KMT's old guards such as former premier Lee Huan (李煥), Sun Yun-suan (孫運璿) and former Control Yuan president Wang Tso-jung (王作榮).

  Painting the performance of the DPP administration as inferior to that of Chiang Ching-kuo's, Lien lashed at the Chen administration for knowing only how to build up national debt and not come up with substantial measures to bring down the gap between the wealthy and the poor.

  Lien also criticized Chen's national policy advisers as merely a group of high-level business leaders.

  PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), another speaker invited to give a speech, delivered a volley of criticism at the DPP administration, criticizing its lack of direction and inability to implement measures.

  He sang the praises of Chiang Ching-kuo's practice of making frequent visits to grassroots organizations and learning bout their needs.Analysts say that in saying so, Soong was insinuating that Chen's visits to various localities were merely for show, thus not truly to hear the voice from the grassroots.
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