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Honeymoon ends before it begins, with James Soong 'weary of working with KMT'

The taste of victory is still sweet after the weekend's election.

But Taiwan's Kuomintang and its splinter People First Party allies must now overcome campaign-trail grudges that threaten to split their  slim majority in the legislature.

PFP chief James Soong Chu-yu yesterday initially rejected the KMT's invitation for a merger.

He also hinted the PFP might not support the re-election, as legislative speaker, of the KMT's Wang Jin-pyng.  KMT officials responded by asking Mr Soong yet again to co-operate.

Mr Soong said: 'I have no intention of becoming the KMT chairman. I don't want to be the boss, nor do I want to be the second-in-command. I just want to be myself, and being myself, I can speak out clearly and no longer need to have any closed-door meetings with others.'

He was responding to a reporters' question on whether the PFP would merge with the KMT in February, as suggested  during the run-up to Saturday's  election.

The PFP chairman said he had had enough of  the affiliation with the KMT. Mr Soong was the running mate to KMT leader Lien Chan during the March presidential elections.

'Many voters told me it was my biggest mistake to team up with the KMT because the unconditional support given by my party to the KMT  has resulted in us losing our identity and being seen as a marginal party,' he said.

Mr Soong said even though the PFP had done the KMT's bidding during the campaign,  the KMT not only failed to help  PFP candidates but directly competed against the smaller party. As a result, the PFP lost some of the seats it should not have, he noted.

The PFP was the biggest loser in the weekend's race, grabbing only 34 seats in the 225-seat legislature. Four years ago, it won 46 seats, while the KMT took 68.  This year, the KMT won 80 seats.

Mr Soong said if the KMT speaker wanted to retain his post,  he needed to  prove he had a vision to reform the legislature.

'The PFP has no plan to run for the speakership or to grab the premiership. As long as Mr Wang can show his resolution and determination to reform the legislature, we would support him,' he said.

Mr Soong did not say  whether the PFP would support the KMT's plan to nominate KMT vice-speaker Chiang Pin-kung  as head of the cabinet. But PFP vice-chairman Chang Chao-hsiung  has already said  the PFP will not get involved in  that nomination issue.

Mr Soong, however, said the PFP would co-operate with the larger party in commonly supported policies and legislative bills.

The KMT hopes that with the opposition retaining a majority in the legislature, the KMT will be in a better position to bargain with President Chen Shui-bian.

Huang Te-fu,  the head of the KMT caucus in the legislature, called for a merger of the KMT, PFP and the New Party in February, saying it was 'the wish of  supporters'.

The KMT's Taipei mayor, Ma Ying-jeou, yesterday said it was unavoidable for the pan-blue competitors to develop grudges during election campaigning, but it was necessary for them to set aside their grudges in order to unite.



Grudges might tear apart winning allies