A new pro-independence group that vows to promote former Taiwan president Lee Teng-hui's ideals was launched as a party in Taipei yesterday, four months ahead of Taiwan's legislative election.
Mr Lee's close aide and former interior minister Huang Chu-wen was inaugurated as chairman of the Taiwan Solidarity Union.
The party advocates Mr Lee's two-states theory - giving Beijing and Taipei equal status - that triggered severe criticism from China in 1998. It has nominated 39 candidates to run in the December poll.
The new party would play a key role in the new parliament, Mr Huang claimed in his speech to members, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported.
Speaking at the party's launch ceremony, Mr Lee said Taiwanese people were unhappy with the island's political development in the past year. 'Taiwan's party politics still has many abnormal, immature and unhealthy phenomena,' Mr Lee said.
'People have shown growing disappointment, disgust and indignation at domestic politics, which have displayed the selfishness of politicians rather than national interests.
The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) last year defeated the Kuomintang in the island's presidential election but the KMT retains 113 seats in the 220-member Legislative Yuan. Mr Chen's party has only 66 seats.