Ma may have expressed his view too hastily without first getting a consensus from his party colleagues. But his move did demonstrate a significant first step to be taken by the KMT to strengthen and expand its grassroots support in Taiwan.

In current politics in Taiwan, the “pan-blue” people led by the KMT are branded “unificationists” as opposed to “pan-green” supporters led by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who push for Taiwan independence. It is true that, years ago, the idea of ultimate unification with mainland China was the political mainstream in Taiwan, but the public mood has undergone perceptible changes with the rising of the anti-China sentiment, thanks largely to the extensive propaganda launched by the DPP. In fact, people on this island have always loathed Communism, and, therefore, their publicly declared support for “one China” at any time stems more from political expedience under international pressure than a happy choice.

Right now, the KMT is based in Taiwan, and it is certainly in its best political interests to do all it can to identify with Taiwan and cater to the Taiwanese. To large numbers of the native Taiwanese, “China” has become a symbol of evil, for it has always harbored a plot to take over Taiwan and subject it to a dictatorial Communist rule as it considers the island an “integral part of China.” Therefore, the proposal that the KMT drop the word “China” in its full title represents not so much an attempt at de-sinification as an effort to make the party more acceptable to the general public, particularly the “pan-green” people.

An intriguing phenomenon prevails in Taiwan today — the scandal-ridden President Chen has been able to survive all the political storms so far with the backing of only a small minority of voters. Is this not a strange development in a modern democracy where the majority is supposed to rule? A close examination will show that President Chen is an extremely astute politician who has mastered various tricks in political maneuvering. But, it can be said that the success of all his schemes hinges primarily on these characteristics of DPP followers: solidarity, dedication and high combat capability. The result is that merely 30 percent of the Taiwan population can dictate the fate of the other 70 percent. If the opposition led by the KMT cannot find ways to solve this problem of “the majority being kidnapped by the minority,” the future of Taiwan hangs in the balance no matter who will be elected president in 2008.

Some suggestions may be offered here. First, the KMT, the largest opposition party, must strive to win over the hearts and minds of more native Taiwanese, especially those in the south. By doing so it is hoped that the number of the “deep-green” elements will be reduced to, say, 20 percent of the population, thus decimating the political influence of the radicals. Secondly, the KMT must also redouble its efforts to indoctrinate its followers in such a way as to heighten their morale in confronting common political enemies and their zeal to work for the best interest of their party and country. In other words, they must match their “pan-green” rivals in their willingness to make great sacrifices and fight furiously for their cause.

As one of the most popular politicians in Taiwan today, Ma personally has succeeded in surmounting many of the barriers that separate “mainlanders” from native Taiwanese. But, this is definitely not enough. The KMT and its allies need to be perceived and accepted wholeheartedly by native Taiwanese as their own political organizations, dedicated to promoting the well-being of the people of Taiwan. Some time ago, a high-ranking DPP leader revealed that about 50,000 grassroots party members were working tirelessly to defend President Chen against numerous corruption charges. If this is the case, then how many party workers does the KMT need to swing the broad masses of “pan-green” people to their side on important ethnical and ideological issues?

Of course, the KMT, perceived as a “mainlander party”, needs many more activists to tackle its identity problem. This task is so urgent and staggering that it must start immediately, and the KMT must brace itself for a prolonged battle.

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