Ex-President Lee lashes out at Ma's government

President Ma claims he understands the people's hardships, but he actually is indifferent to them, Lee said Friday during a fundraiser in Taipei for the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU). The government knows some parts of American beef are harmful to people's health, but it still bowed to U.S. pressure and lifted the ban on their imports, said Lee, the patriarch of the TSU.

“People's health is such an important matter, but the government doesn't care,” said Lee, adding he would not dare to eat “sick beef.”

The Kuomintang government's performance has been “absurd” since Ma took office in May 2008, and its mishandling of rescue efforts in the wake of Typhoon Morakot in August was “the last straw,” said Lee.

“The year-end local elections will be seen by the people as a chance to punish President Ma,” said Lee. “This may be a turning point for the KMT towards decline.”

He said it might be improper for him to criticize the incumbent, but that he had to speak up.

Lee led the KMT for 12 years before retiring as president in 2000 when the party lost the presidential election to the Democratic Progressive Party. But his support for Taiwan independence subsequently led him to break with the pro-China unification KMT, and had his proteges form the TSU.

The ex-president pointed out that the candidates nominated by the KMT for the year-end elections are facing strong challenges from their fellow members who have quit the party or have been expelled. These mavericks understand that Ma has lost his appeal, Lee said.

He said the recent development in the election of the KMT Central Standing Committee — which will have to be re-elected amid widespread vote-buying allegations — is unprecedented in the party's history.

He said these latest developments in the party and the nation underlie a shift in public opinion shunning the KMT.

He also criticized the main opposition DPP, saying during its rule between 2000 and 2008, the government only took care of the interests of businesspeople and bureaucrats.

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