The time is not yet right for the three pan-blue parties to merge, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) spokesman Alex Tsai (
Tsai was responding to questions about whether the KMT and its splinter parties -- the New Party and the People First Party (PFP) -- will merge following KMT Chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) remarks during a rally on Saturday that the three parties will cooperate even more closely in the wake of the March 20 presidential election.
Tsai said that "there has been consistent speculation to that effect, but the timing is not yet ripe."
"The Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] has pulled out all the stops to try to disintegrate pan-blue cooperation," Tsai said, adding that he wanted to advise the DPP to direct its efforts in the right places.
Meanwhile, an ally of the DPP urged Lien to concede defeat and step down as party chairman.
Taiwan Solidarity Union whip Cheng Chen-lung (
"Lien should pass the baton to others and let the grand old party become Taiwanized," Cheng said, adding that Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng (
Cheng said that the KMT should learn the will of the people to move toward the direction of Taiwanization, adding that if Wang serves as its chairman, the party can maintain its power to balance that of the ruling party.
He also said that PFP Chairman James Soong (
He said the KMT and the PFP will have to go their own ways in the year-end legislative elections.
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