Rumors of Wang Jin-pyng; DPP debates primary system.

The United Daily News published a report suggesting KMT heavyweight and legislator Wang Jin-pyng was going to make a run for the 2008 KMT presidential nomination. This is especially interesting because it comes probably less than a week before the investigation into KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou's use of his special allowance fund. If Ma is charged, he will step down from his position and all interest will immediately go to Wang again.

角逐2008？王金平:未來的路慎重評估
　

（中央社記者曹宇帆台北十日電）根據聯合報報導，立法院長王金平正積極動員，準備角逐中國國民黨總統初選。王金平今天表示，自己有什麼能力為國家效力會評估反省，未來方向與選擇很多，怎麼決定會慎重考慮。

不過王金平上午參加消防獎學金頒獎典禮時，面對記者追問聯合報的相關報導時，王金平指出，他現在必須思考國家處於什麼時期？能夠為國家做些什麼？國家需要為人民做什麼？與人民的期待。

他還說，會自我評估反省，看自己有沒有能力為國家做事情，他思考的是未來該走什麼路，未來方向很多，還沒有既定方向，會慎重評估。

Wang has said in response to the article that it's not exactly correct and that he needs to consider what sort of contribution he can make to teh country and what the people need right now. He's also said ne needs to do some self-reflection and self-criticism. In other words, he's confirming his interest in running.

My personal hope is that Wang is another Lee Teng-hui, in the fold to help the KMT lose or to make it walk a path toward localization. If Wang is nominated, expect to see a Presidential debate that's at least 70% in Taiwanese.

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On a related note:

DPP needs to rethink its primary poll system

Shen Fu-hsiung 沈富雄 / Tuesday, Feb 06, 2007, Page 8

A group of Democratic Progres-sive Party (DPP) legislators has proposed a mechanism to exclude pan-blue respondents from participating in the opinion polls that the party will use to choose candidates in its primaries. Anyone who did not vote for a DPP or Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) candidate in the last presidential, local or legislative election would be disqualified from taking part in the opinion poll.

This "blue exclusion clause" is being fiercely debated within the party. Some lawmakers are claiming that the proposal is tailor-made for certain legislators.

The proposal's author, Legislator Wang Shih-cheng (王世堅), isn't backing down. He has threatened to leave the party if it fails to adopt the proposal. ...

The proponents believe that pan-blue voters will distort the DPP's primaries and thus the DPP's nominations. The only case they have cited, however, is my own.

Wang Shih-cheng wants the poll limited to DPP legislators because he's not really interested in knowing how popular he is in the district or what his changes are of winning; he's rabidly anti-Ma and has a hardcore Green following, so he wants to capitalize on that to gaurentee his nomination. See, under the new single member district system, moderates will be favored and extremists marginalized, so Wang is trying to ensure he can at least make it through the primary process and gaurentee a nomination.

I hope Wang Shih-cheng fails and that Wang Jin-pyng succeeds.