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Web-only Exclusives November 30, 2000 From Our Correspondent: Hirohito and the War A conversation with biographer Herbert Bix From Our Correspondent: A Rough Road Ahead Bad news for the Philippines - and some others From Our Correspondent: Making Enemies Indonesia needs friends. So why is it picking fights? |
GUNNING FOR LEE'S JOB
IN LEE TENG-HUI'S BID for another term in next year's presidential race - Taiwan's first by popular vote - he faces not just Beijing's ire, but the ambitions of four major opponents, including one from his own party. Three are opposed to the president's moves to gain greater international recognition and a U.N. seat for the island, which sparked the current confrontation with Beijing. In varying degrees, they are keen to make up with China.
Like Lee, Lin Yang-kang, 68, is a native Taiwanese. But Lin opposes policies that fuel tensions with Beijing. An old-style populist, the National Taiwan University graduate resigned last year as head of the Judicial Yuan to prepare for his presidential bid. Still a KMT vice-chairman, he has aligned himself with the party's so-called non-mainstream faction which advocates a less confrontational line with China. Lin had considered asking independent Chen Li-an to be his running mate, citing their similar policies. If Lin doesn't get the KMT nomination, he has said he may run as an independent too.
Chen Li-an, 58, was a rising star in the KMT before he quit to take on Lee in August. One of a younger generation of politicians, Chen has a wealth of cabinet experience and a first-rate political pedigree: his father Chen Cheng was vice-president under Chiang Kai-shek and the architect of Taiwan's popular land reform program. A U.S-educated technocrat, the younger Chen may appeal to traditional segments of the electorate. As a devout Buddhist and head of the Control Yuan, the watchdog agency monitoring the government, he is regarded as a voice for public morals and family values. Because of his mainland origins he is seen as a better advocate for reunification. But he has yet to make concrete proposals about how he would put relations with the mainland back on track.
Also mainland-born, Wang Chien-shien, 57, is the candidate of the New Party, which splintered from the KMT in 1993, and the most vocal opponent of Lee's policies. Officially in favor of reunification based on equality and mutual respect, the New Party embraces some of the most conservative elements from the KMT, who favor party-to-party talks with the Chinese communists. Wang blames Lee's unclear diplomatic signals for the confrontation with Beijing.
Peng Ming-min, 72, is the candidate of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party - and an outspoken advocate of Taiwan independence. He first espoused that line as an academic in 1964 - earning an eight-year sentence, commuted to house arrest, for his pains. After a dramatic escape, Peng actively promoted independence in exile in the U.S. before returning triumphantly in 1992. A Lee contemporary with strong support among native Taiwanese, he backs Lee's push for a U.N. status for Taiwan. But he has repeatedly said independence is an issue to be decided unhurriedly through a plebiscite. Voters fearful of Beijing may see merit in Peng's position that Taiwan should take it slow and be happy with de facto independence - for now.
Next year, the electorate will ponder that and other difficult issues. And for the gerontocrats in Beijing, it's a three out of five chance of avoiding a tougher confrontation with Taipei.
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