Proposed ‘pan-blue’ merger is looking more uncertain

The merger became the subject of heated debate as KMT Chairman Lien Chan is expected to make the proposal at the KMT’s Central Standing Committee meeting today.

“The merger will further integrate the opposition forces to form a strong and powerful force to monitor the government,” Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng said yesterday, confirming reports of the merger.

The KMT will set up a special unit to facilitate the merger if the proposal is approved on Wednesday’s meeting, Wang added.

After its narrow defeat in the presidential election, much is at stake for the opposition “pan-blue” camp in the year-end legislative elections. Wang is optimistic that a successful merger will generate new momentum for the opposition.

In a sharp contrast, a spate of politicians from both parties were quick to cast doubt over the merger.

PFP Chairman James Soong asserted last night that the two parties will further strengthen their cooperation but the PFP opposes an immediate merger.

“It’s unlikely (for the KMT) to announce the merger tomorrow,” he told reporters.

PFP lawmaker Chiu Yi charged that the young PFP will be sacrificed to save the aging KMT as a result of the merger.

“Don’t use a poison as a tonic,” warned KMT lawmaker Chen Hung-chang. “One plus one doesn’t equate two and I hope Chairman Lien will think twice before leaping to a decision.”

Lawmaker Hsu Chung-hsiung, an early advocate of the merger, expressed his disapproval.

Even if the merger is inevitable, Lien and Soong should step down from their positions in order to facilitate the transition of powers to the younger generation, Hsu reiterated.

It was reported that Lien and five vice chairmen met on Sunday afternoon during which they reached an unanimous agreement on the merger matter. The name of the new party reportedly will still be KMT.

The PFP was established in 2000 by Soong, a former KMT stalwart who ran as an independent and narrowly lost to Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the three-way presidential race. Lien, who was then a KMT vice chairman, finished third in the 2000 presidential election.

Please see MERGER on page

Some KMT members left the party to join the newly-established PFP at that time, and are likely to resist the idea to be united with the KMT.

The KMT and PFP narrowly lost its joint presidential bid to the DPP by a slim 0.2 percent margin in the 2004 election amid controversy surrounding an election-eve shooting that lightly wounded Chen and alleged voting irregularities.

The “pan-blue” alliance is challenging the outcome of the March 20 presidential election in court and the recount of ballots is still going on.

The DPP and its ally Taiwan Solidarity Union scorned the merger as a means to extend Lien and Soong’s political careers. The TSU even predicted that KMT “nativist” lawmakers will leave the party in protest.

Vice President Annette Lu was among a few “pan-green” officials who gave their blessings to the opposition.

“I’ve already predicted the reshuffle of the ‘pan-blue’ force after the presidential election,” she said.

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