US embassy cable - 05TAIPEI4747

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 004747 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EAP/TC; EAP- PLEASE PASS TO AIT/W BSCHRAGE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/28/2015 
TAGS: KPAO, PGOV, PREL, PINR, TW 
SUBJECT: PFP SPOKESMAN SAYS PARTY'S FUTURE UNCERTAIN 
 
REF: A. TAIPEI 4646 
 
     B. TAIPEI 4715 
 
Classified By: DIR Douglas H. Paal, Reason 1.4(D) 
 
1. (SBU)  Summary: This is our third cable looking at media 
strategies and public platforms of Taiwan's main political 
parties in the run-up to the December 3 elections.  The 
opposition People First Party (PFP) is competing in 4 out of 
23 races in the upcoming elections, but their inability to 
coordinate with fellow opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and lack 
of media coverage are hurting the party's chances.  PFP 
Spokesman Hsieh Kong-ping expressed concerns about his 
party's future survival, and he reiterated his party's 
unchanged stance on arms procurement. (Previous cables on KMT 
and ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) public posture 
reftels.)  End Summary. 
 
PFP Focused on Keelung, an "Indicator" of Party's Future 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
2. (SBU)  Hsieh noted that the PFP is fielding four 
candidates in the December 3 elections: Keelung City, 
Taichung City, Miaoli County, and Hualien County.  In the 
other 19 constituencies, the PFP is not fielding a candidate. 
 The PFP is focused mostly on the Keelung mayoral race, in 
which PFP candidate and current legislator Liu Wen-hsiung has 
the best chance of winning among all PFP candidates, Hsieh 
commented. 
 
3. (SBU)  Hsieh expressed frustration over the lack of 
campaign coordination with the KMT.  In the Keelung race, for 
example, the KMT is also fielding a candidate of its own. 
Hsieh claimed that although the PFP has shown good faith by 
trying to work with the KMT, the KMT has "not responded" in 
kind to PFP's overtures.  Hsieh elaborated that PFP Chairman 
James Soong has campaigned for KMT candidates in seven races, 
but no major KMT political figure has yet to campaign for a 
PFP candidate. 
 
4. (SBU)  Hsieh further asserted that the Keelung race will 
be an "important indicator" of his party's future, stating 
that, due to lack of coordination with the KMT, the race will 
gauge his party's ability to stand on its own.  He showed 
concern over his party's future, suggesting that the party's 
increasing obsolescence in the political arena and declining 
public support are "very big problems" that require serious 
internal discussion. 
 
Media Dominated by Negative Campaigning 
--------------------------------------- 
5. (SBU)  Hsieh said that the Taiwan media is portraying the 
election as a fight between the DPP and KMT, and without 
adequate media coverage, the PFP has had difficulty 
highlighting its policies.  Hsieh feels that negative 
campaigning has dominated media coverage of Taiwan elections 
during the past 10 years, and this year's negative 
campaigning started with the Chen Che-nan and Kaohsiung Rapid 
Transit Corp (KRTC) scandal. 
 
6. (SBU)  Hsieh believes that the DPP has now taken the 
offensive, trying to downplay the KRTC scandal by raising the 
issue of 18% interest rates on civil servants' pension 
savings.  Hsieh asserted that, since these civil servants 
(government employees, military personnel, teachers) 
traditionally do not vote for the DPP, the DPP has nothing to 
lose.  Rather, the DPP is trying to draw more votes from 
farmers who have not been able to receive pensions because 
the high interest rate leaves no money for them. 
 
Arms Procurement Policy Unchanged 
--------------------------------- 
7. (SBU)  Hsieh explained that the PFP's policy on arms 
procurement has not changed: the special budget's price tag 
is too high, and the party is opposed to the DPP's handling 
of the legislative proceedings.  Hsieh at one point suggested 
that there may be room for discussion if the price tag comes 
down and the DPP takes appropriate procedural steps in the 
legislature.  However, he concluded that since the United 
States is sticking to its "one China" policy and no 
independence means no war across the Strait, there really is 
no need for additional procurement at this time. 
 
Comment: Party in Decline 
------------------------- 
8. (C)  Hsieh's comments reflect the common party line 
especially on the arms procurement issue, but his frustration 
at the party's weakness and lack of direction, made worse by 
what he considers a form of betrayal by the KMT, was evident 
throughout the discussion.  In contrast to the bustling 
activity in the DPP and KMT headquarters, it was interesting 
to observe the silence in the PFP headquarters, especially 
considering the upcoming elections, perhaps the biggest 
indicator of a party clearly in decline. 
Bio Note 
-------- 
9. (SBU)  Hsieh was a reporter for the United Daily News 
before joining the People First Party as its spokesman in 
2000.  He showed his own political ambitions when he tried to 
run for the legislature a few years ago.  He ended up 
aborting his election bid because his party supported a 
different candidate, prompting him to temporarily leave the 
party in anger before James Soong convinced him to return. 
Hsieh had previously studied for a PhD in Sociology at Temple 
University in the United States from 1974-1978, but he 
returned to Taiwan before finishing his degree. 
Paal