Interview: Lee Ben-nan of the New Party

Q: What are the New Party's objectives in the upcoming elections?

A: First, Taiwan's fate turns on cross-strait relations. The New Party urges the government to return to the foundation of the 1992 Consensus: one China, separate definitions. We urge that the government negotiate peacefully with China to resolve the issues at the center of the dispute. On 11 November 2000, the pan-blue [opposition] alliance reached a consensus on this point.

We feel that Taiwan can't begin to map out future directions for its economic development until cross-strait relations have stabilized. If cross-strait relations remain uncertain, neither foreign nor domestic investors will put their money into Taiwan, and the public will lose confidence in the economy.

Q: People have the impression that the New Party wants to hurry reunification with China. [New Party] Legislator Elmer Feng has also introduced the "Reunification Banner" designation. What are your thoughts? Are there any votes in rapid reunification?

A: The New Party has been very clear on the topic of reunification with China, proposing the idea of "one country, three systems." This would give Taiwan a system of government different from that of either mainland China, or Hong Kong and Macao. The New Party first proposed the idea in Beijing in mid July 2001, during talks with representatives from the current PRC government. While reunifying under the one China principle, Taiwan would necessarily have a higher position, greater autonomy and more freedom than Hong Kong and Macao, higher even than that of a state in a federation of states. We see the arrangement with the mainland as more of a confederation.

In more concrete terms, we believe that the implementation of "one country, three systems" would not necessitate changes to Taiwan's political system. Taiwanese people would continue to elect their own president without interference from Beijing. And no PRC troops would be allowed in Taiwan for 50 years after reunification. As for Taiwan's name and flag, as Deng Xiaoping said, "If Taiwan accepts the one China principle, everything is negotiable." We have even suggested that both sides could call themselves "China"-China-Beijing and China-Taipei. We believe that both sides will find this sort of solution more palatable.

But what the New Party is advocating isn't precisely a confederation. A confederation is formed of two countries. We would have to split first, then seek reunification. There are many risks and unknowns associated with that interim period of separation. The New Party believes that we are all Chinese; we shouldn't waste our energies on sibling rivalries. Doing so only weakens China to the benefit of other nations.

Q: Beyond improving cross-strait relations, what are the New Party's views?

A: We advocate legislative reform. The 1997 amendments to the constitution made the legislature the heart of the government, but related measures dealing with the legislature's structure are insufficient to allow the legislature to fulfill this function. The NP has therefore established a "New Legislature Alliance" to propose guidelines for the restructuring of the legislature. Unfortunately, with Taiwan's political parties all currently engaged in a war of words, the media has given our proposals little attention.

Basically, we believe that measures halving the number of legislators and legislators' salaries are window dressing that do nothing to resolve the core issues. Our guidelines propose campaign finance laws similar to those of the United States and Japan, which would shine a light on who is giving money to politicians and how much they are giving. We have also examined the so-called "single-member district, two-vote" system.

We have also proposed a "dual-candidacy system," which would allow candidates to stand for election in a single district while also being named as an at-large candidate. Such a system would make it easier for talented individuals to become legislators.

In addition to reforming the electoral system, we also feel that it is important to change the legislative process. Why do legislators spend their days grandstanding in the legislature? Because it gets them on TV. To combat this, Western democracies are gradually moving towards allowing only one TV channel to do live broadcasts of legislative proceedings. In Britain, the broadcasts are made on the BBC. In Japan, NHK has the rights to legislative broadcasts. If a representative begins making a scene, the camera immediately cuts away from him or her and the sound is cut off. This prevents legislators from turning proceedings into a media circus. Unfortunately, in spite of the New Party's courageous advocacy of this idea, the media has given it little attention. But I believe that our position expresses the conscience of the Taiwanese people.

Q: Taiwan's most pressing problem is the economy. What does the New Party propose?

A: Professors Tu Jenn-hwa and Joanna Lei, and Legislator Lai Shyh-bao, all of whom hold PhDs and have studied Taiwan's economic troubles, have established a "New Economy Alliance." Taiwan's current economic travails are the worst the island has seen in 50 years. While we don't deny that there are international factors at work, we also have a ruling party that does not respect the constitution and has been incapable of handling cross-strait relations. This is harming Taiwan's long-term economic development. The New Party therefore advocates abandoning ideology and making adjustments to Taiwan's economy within the context of the Greater China economic sphere. We should draw more on the mainland's vast potential, and allow Taiwan to build on its strengths. By uniting with the mainland economically, we can assist and complement each other's development. Economic cooperation with the mainland will be critical to the further development of Taiwan's economy.

Q: What is the New Party's view of the pan-blue alliance? What does the NP bring to such an alliance?

A: [KMT party] Chairman Lien Chan has put KMT policy back on its original track. Now that Lien has taken action against corruption within the party, relations between the NP and the KMT are excellent. Although we are still competing with one another for seats in the legislature, we are working together in the mayoral elections and county magistrate elections everywhere but Kinmen, where we both have candidates running.

Opinions are divided on what happens after the elections. I personally believe that we ought to continue to work with the KMT for a period of time before considering our next move. As for the post-election political situation, the New Party will support the KMT in forming a Cabinet.

On the other hand, our relationship with the PFP is more competitive than cooperative even though we have similar goals. The frequent ambiguity of PFP Chairman James Soong's stand on cross-strait relations further complicates cooperation. The opinions he has expressed have been all over the place. He has also hedged on the possibility of allying with the ruling party. All of which makes it very hard to deduce his actual beliefs. As a result, you could say that right now the pan-blue alliance consists of the New Party and the KMT. The PFP is more of an outsider.

Q: How many votes do you predict the New Party will get in the upcoming election? Do you worry that a lack of support from voters will force the party to dissolve?

A: Our objective is to "hold five and shoot for seven" in terms of seats in the legislature, and we expect between 500,000 and 700,000 votes. The last two weeks have been rough for us, but we've continued to plug away at the fringes. We aren't worried about disappearing from Taiwan's political scene. We just want the electorate to know that the New Party is an outstanding party with a contribution to make to Taiwan.

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The New Party's very survival is at stake in this election; the pressure is on for chief strategist Lee Ben-nan.