Word: kmt
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...Kuomintang, or KMT, won Taiwan's presidential election by a landslide, garnering 58% of the votes cast compared to 42% for his chief rival, Frank Hsieh of the rival Democratic Progressive Party, or DPP. "The end of this election is the beginning of change," Ma said in his victory address to a roaring crowd in Taipei...
...message is so far winning out. Polls show him ahead of Hsieh by double digits. A big reason is Ma himself. The former Taipei mayor and triathlon competitor has become the new face of the new KMT. Born in Hong Kong, Ma arrived in Taiwan as a 1-year-old and, after studying in the U.S., held a long list of posts in KMT governments, including Justice Minister. While campaigning, Ma is often received more like a touring pop star than a politician. "Look at how the ladies react," comments one aide as Ma departs from a rally to greet...
...administration has been so tarnished by corruption scandals that public confidence in the DPP has soured. Even First Lady Wu Shu-chen was indicted on charges of graft and forgery in 2006; she pled not guilty and a verdict has yet to be delivered. Fed-up voters carried the KMT to a landslide victory in legislative elections in January. (Ma was also indicted last year for misappropriating public funds but was cleared of wrongdoing by the courts. An appeal by prosecutors to the Supreme Court is now pending...
...Historical Baggage The presidential election, though, is far from over. Ma has a potential Achilles heel - the mere fact that he's KMT. Hsieh can count on a full third of the electorate to vote against the KMT under almost any circumstances. Ma has tried to counter by appearing more sensitive to issues of Taiwanese identity. He has spent long stretches in the island's south - DPP territory - where he often bypasses hotels to stay in the homes of ordinary folk. At one rally of labor unionists in Taipei, Ma made sure to lead the crowd in cheers of "Taiwan...
...there's a catch. Hu insisted that any negotiating party had to accept Beijing's view of "one China," a prerequisite even the KMT might have trouble swallowing. An overtly friendly Taipei will also force Hu to make sensitive decisions on Taiwan policy he has so far been able to avoid, and it is uncertain how far he's willing to go. "Taiwan's leadership will be looking for concessions and will almost certainly be willing to make concessions of its own." says Shelley Rigger, a Taiwan expert at Davidson College in North Carolina. "That will force Beijing to decide...