Any comments about Vincent Siew?
I have a great deal of respect for the ever-smiling Siew. Of all the senior figures in the KMT, he has shown the greatest integrity during the past four years of the Chen administration. He has evidently abhorred the negative role they have played in opposing for the sake of opposition, and has, I believe, been horrified by Lien
… I don’t know about his grassroots support. He made his name by winning a very competitive election in chiayi, though.
Who knows, he might leave the KMT, when it starts falling apart.
yesh well…he sounds too good to be true and more power to him…if the KMT were smart then sure he should be a major player along with clown ma (surely better than weasel hu) but it’s more likely that he’ll cross sides and join the good guys…it’s gunna be fascinating to watch the KMT as they fuck things up even further for themselves in the aftermath of this fiasco…
Does that matter? I’m getting more and more convinced that the KMT is still being run assuming it’s still in a 1-party system. It’s a bit like asking whether Hu JinTao has grassroot support - maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t. It doesn’t matter - all that matters is support from the other senior members within the party.
In 2000, the KMT didn’t realise there was an opposition so they treated the election as an internal Lien vs. Soong battle for leadership of the Blues battle.
In 2004, the KMT didn’t notice the blues had only got just over 50% in the legislative 2001 elections, so thought winning was a formality with someone who got ~20% of the vote last time.
Grassroot support? Aren’t those the people who chew betelnut and read Apple Daily? Why should their opinion matter when choosing who to be the leader of the KMT/country?
Might matter in the future.
And KMT has since it’s conception shown itself consistently incapable of seeing into the future. Or even wanting to. The CCP were right about the KMT in many respects, including the label ‘reactionary’…
He had already proved himself as a highly capable and effective government official, with spells as Minister of Economic Affairs and Chairman of the CEPD, before he was asked to run in the Chiayi election. He also had a spell as head of the Mainland Affairs Council in between the CEPD and the Legislative Yuan. While at the CEPD, he represented Lee Teng-hui at the first APEC Leaders’ Meetings. And then, of course, Lee appointed him as premier for the last couple or so years of his presidency.
So he has impeccable credentials for occupying the highest position in government – far better, indeed, than any other possible contender that I can think of – while never having sullied his name by participating in any of the pan-blues’ negative antics during the last four years. He is a very sincere and honourable man, and, most importantly, a pro-localization moderate who supports neither unification nor independence. He still has enough time on his side (in his mid-60s, if I remember correctly, about the same or perhaps a tad younger than Lien). All in all, I believe he’d be the perfect choice for that bridging role between the DPP and a reformed KMT.
Why is it that I have this “I can’t exactly remember what it is or why” feeling about Vinnie, but I don’t recall him being god’s political gift to Taiwan.
What am I thinking about? Was it his water treatment white elephant on Bali (ours not the other one…) that was built during his stint as premier that never had pipes running in or out connected?
Or what?
Oh, so if you want to get a reputation as a good KMT pol, you just shut up and keep a low profile.
I like that.
[quote=“Mr He”]Oh, so if you want to get a reputation as a good KMT pol, you just shut up and keep a low profile.
I like that.[/quote]
He doesn’t, however, keep a low profile overseas. He’s constantly making trips to address international conferences, think tanks, and influential audiences around the round, bolstering Taiwan’s trade connections, spreading understanding of Taiwan’s situation, and eliciting support for Taiwan’s outward endeavours, especially its efforts to put cross-strait relations into more favourable shape. He’s probably more active, and more effective, in this regard than any other Taiwanese politician of any stripe.
He also takes his job of economic adviser very seriously, and works very hard in the national cause without making a song and dance of it.
But you’re quite right: if other pan-blue leaders, and some of their pan-green counterparts, would spend less time putting on a noisy show for the media and more time quietly applying themselves to serving Taiwan’s best interests, it certainly would be a cause for wonder and celebration.