Taiwan's leading opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party on Sunday pledged to reform itself in the first party congress since it lost a 51-year grip on power last year.
Lien Chan, chairman of what was Taiwan's founding party, who himself lost the 2000 presidential election to Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said the KMT should "launch a new beginning".
"In the December parliamentary elections we must draw a clear line under the 'black gold'," said Lien, using a term referring to allegations that the KMT was involved with bribery and gangsters.
We want to reshape our image," he told the meeting in Taoyuan, 40 kilometers (24 miles) south of Taipei.
Among the reforms being considered is the direct election of the party chairman by KMT members, rather than election by party representatives.
Nonetheless, political observers have predicted that in the coming polls the KMT, still reeling from the humiliating defeat, will still lose its majority at the parliament.
The KMT now holds 113 seats in the 219-seat parliament, known as the Legislative Yuan. Chen's DPP controls 66 seats.
Lien pledged to help the party regain power in a mission he claimed was "not for the personal interests of any politicians" but for the interest of the country.
"Over the past year the DPP government has brought constitutional, economic, social and cross-strait crises," Lien said.
"People can no longer wait any more," he added.
Taiwan's economic growth plummeted to a 26-year low of 1.06 percent in the three months to March from a year earlier and the government's forecast for the whole year was lowered to 4.02 percent from 5.25 percent.
The jobless rate in June hit a new high of 4.51 percent.
Outside the stadium, a group of slogan-chanting KMT members demanded former KMT leader and Taiwanese president Lee Teng-hui be thrown out of the party, accusing him of betrayal.
Lee was forced to resign from chairmanship of the KMT in March 2000 after the party lost the presidential elections to the pro-independence DPP.
Lee, who was the outgoing president with Lien his supposed successor, has since shown broad support for Chen.
Earlier this month a group of senior KMT members handed a petition to the party demanding Lee be expelled, but the issue was shelved for fear of triggering a backlash from Lee's supporters in the party.
The party later approved five vice chairpersons nominated by Lien.
Around 2,000 KMT representatives and cadres are taking part in the two-day congress.
Party representatives will also elect 210 central committee members, who in turn will vote for a 31-member power core central standing committee.
The agenda also included review of proposals for changes in the party platform and regulations, KMT officials said.
But a proposal supported by Lien for strengthening links with China in the party's platform was not put on the agenda after objections from senior members.
The proposal calls for the formation of a confederation linking Taiwan and China before any potential reunification.
The KMT in early July unveiled a policy paper stipulating a transitional period as a confederation before "reunification under the principles of democracy, freedom and equitable distribution of wealth" can take place.
The proposal was turned down by Beijing which instead favors "one country, two systems" -- the mechanism it uses to rule both Hong Kong and Macau.
The Chinese communist party sent a message to the KMT congratulating its party congress and voicing hopes that the KMT would continue to adhere to its "one China" principle and work towards China's eventual reunification.
China and Taiwan have been split since the KMT, led by Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-Shek, fled the mainland at the end of a civil war in 1949. Beijing has considered the island part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary, ever since -- TAOYUAN, Taiwan (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
