Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members are being urged to refrain from taking sides amid the controversy over KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu’s (洪秀柱) perceived inclination to remove the “different interpretations” clause from the so-called “1992 consensus.”
Posting on Facebook a joint statement issued by a number of the KMT’s city and county councilors on Saturday calling for party unity, Hung yesterday said that the party’s top priorities are to steer the nation toward the right path, lead the KMT out of its current predicament and protect the rights of the party’s employees.
“At such a difficult time, we cannot afford internal divisions. No one needs to take sides, because no one can shoulder the cost of ruptures within the party,” Hung said, adding that there is nothing that cannot be resolved through communication.
Hung said that as there are still members who are either concerned or unclear about the KMT’s new policy platform passed at the party’s national congress last month, she plans to tour the nation in the near future to better explain the platform to KMT members.
The policy platform, passed on Sept. 4, puts focus on furthering the “1992 consensus” on the basis of the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution and exploring the possibility of ending cross-strait hostility through a peace accord.
The “1992 consensus” refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and Beijing that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means. Former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) said in 2006 that he had made up the term in 2000.
The platform only mentions the “different interpretations” part once when talking about former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) success in deepening cross-strait interactions during his eight years in office, omitting what the pan-blue camp has considered as an integral element in the political framework in following mentions.
It has been seen as an attempt by Hung to move the KMT closer to the concept of “one China, same interpretation,” drawing criticism from a number of party heavyweights, including former vice president Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), who said during his recent visit to the US that the new platform could make it even harder for the KMT to survive in Taiwan.
Wu is reportedly planning to compete against Hung in the KMT’s chairperson race in the second half of next year.
Attending a ceremony yesterday marking the 20th anniversary of the World I-Kuan Tao Headquarters’ founding in Kaohsiung, Hung dismissed the possibility of holding a debate within the KMT to decide the direction of the party’s cross-strait policies.
“Our direction is abiding by the ROC Constitution and complying with whatever regulations that are stipulated in it,” Hung said. “But we must better explain ourselves to the public, particularly to the party members.”
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