The Cross Strait Times

The KMT is probably worried right now. Shih Ming-teh (施明德)’s anti-corruption campaign has turned towards the KMT’s assets, and the Legislative Yuan is investigating them as well. The PFP is also causing trouble — David’s analysis at Jujflop suggest that the PFP pressured the KMT into recalling Chen in order to keep the Pan-Blue alliance intact. There is also the long-stalled arms bill* which the PFP still refuses to vote on; the KMT said it would vote, but is now flip-flopping, probably also due to pressure from the PFP. And now there’s the Taipei mayoral race: KMT’s Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), PFP’s James Soong (宋楚瑜), and independent Li Ao (李敖) threaten to split the Pan-Blue votes and give the election to DPP’s Frank Hsieh (謝長廷); the KMT is now under pressure to withdraw Hau to ensure Soong’s victory. The KMT and PFP may be allies, but the PFP has made the Pan-Blues act undemocratically; therefore, the KMT should not be afraid to break its alliance with the PFP. The KMT has no need to be worried — if the KMT continues to follow its path of reform and democratization, which current events are helping to catalyze, it can only win the support of the Taiwanese and validate its platform and ideals.

The KMT has long been dogged by its legacy of authoritarianism and corruption. Then, last year, Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) became the KMT’s first democratically elected chairman. Earlier this year, the KMT acknowledged wrongdoing in 228, and more amends are likely to come in the future. Now, Hau has become the first Taipei mayoral candidate democratically selected amongst the KMT. The KMT is turning over a new leaf and taking steps to become the democratic party that KMT founder and National Father Sun Yat-sen wanted it to be. The fact that the KMT is cooperating in the corruption investigations, plus Ma’s hardline stance against Black Gold, can only help. Admitting and redressing wrongs needs to be part of the “new KMT” that can gain public support and votes for the all-important 2008 presidential race.

Democratizing and cleaning up the KMT is especially important because the pro-separation DPP currently operates more democratically than the KMT, and much of its support stems from this fact. However, the DPP, while claiming to support the majority-supported status quo, is actually trying to steer Taiwan towards separation. The KMT, on the other hand, is the party closest to supporting the status quo**. A cleaner, more democratic KMT will certainly draw crowds of followers who are pro-democracy, pro-status quo, and will, as a result, be tougher competition for the DPP.

In the Taipei mayoral elections, the Pan-Blues are still negotiating on how not to split the votes. Ma has been put in a difficult position, as withdrawing Hau for Soong undermines the democratic values that the KMT has finally come to embrace. Backpedaling on democracy is not an acceptable solution. The KMT may have to keep Hau in the race, even if it means losing the election. If there were more time until the election, I would have advocated for a Pan-Blue primary to avoid a rift, but considering the time constraints and the realities of a multi-party system, a better solution would be a run-off election. If a candidate doesn’t win more than 50% of the votes there will be a run-off between the top two candidates. With this solution, no candidate could win the election without majority approval, a truly democratic process.

If worse comes to worse, a KMT-PFP split is acceptable because the two parties will realign out of necessity for the upcoming legislative and presidential elections. The Pan-Blues will not want to lose the presidency. What the KMT cannot afford to do is alienate the everyday Taiwanese voter by going back on its democratic breakthroughs. The KMT must assert itself as a democratic, pro-status quo party in order to gain and retain popular support. The KMT must stick up for itself and embrace the democratic path that Sun Yat-sen would have liked to have seen it embark upon decades ago, even if it means a short-term break with the PFP.

Losing the Taipei mayoral race is an acceptable sacrifice for the KMT if the democratic path can garner enough popular support to win the 2007 legislative and 2008 presidential elections.

Notes:
* The arms package deal deserves its own article, but in short: The ROC must be able to look out for herself, BUT… some say that the USA’s arms package deal is overpriced for its contents and does not adequately fulfill the ROC’s needs for self-defense.
** While the Pan-Blues are called “pro-unification,” the KMT has been clear on ruling out reunification until the Mainland becomes a liberal democracy, advocating status quo in the meantime.