Word: bentuhua
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...After imposing 38 years of martial law and brutally repressing political activists who later became the core of the now-ruling DPP, the KMT introduced democratic reforms in the 1990s. But Taiwanese used their new freedoms to demand bentuhua, which translates as "localization." Bentuhua means politicians bear Taiwanese lineage, speak the Taiwanese dialect, emphasize Taiwan's history in schools and promote Taiwanese culture. For many, bentuhua also means independence, or at least permanent separation from China. The KMT, which still draws heavily on support from mainlanders, can't please everybody. Says KMT adviser Wu Tung-yeh: "The old-line faction...
...despite winning the most votes. Most united these days is the DPP, which works well with its ally, a party formed by former President Lee Teng-hui, who quit the KMT in 2000 and now supports independence. The DPP expects to win over alienated voters from the KMT's bentuhua side who are disturbed by their party's histrionic reaction to the election. "The biggest beneficiary of the election fiasco will be the DPP," predicts Tuan Yi-kang, a DPP legislator and strategist. Control of the legislature would grant Chen a freer hand to rewrite the constitution?something Beijing fears...
...Before December, the KMT will have to figure out what it represents. The new official line?that sovereignty issues are for the next generation to resolve?invites voters to flow to other parties at either end of the political spectrum. And efforts to make the KMT more bentuhua, although necessary to win elections, pits the KMT in an unfamiliar game. "Bentuhua lends itself to independence and extremism," says Jason Hu, one of the horsepower trio, "so we can't compete with the DPP on that subject." So what's left? Hu says the KMT must "hope voters...
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