LY PRESIDENT WANG ON ELECTION POLITICS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TAIPEI 003229

SIPDIS

STATE PASS AIT/W

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2014
TAGS: PGOV PREL TW
SUBJECT: LY PRESIDENT WANG ON ELECTION POLITICS

REF: TAIPEI 03141

Classified By: AIT Deputy Director David Keegan, Reasons: 1.4 (B/D)


1. (C) Summary: Legislative Yuan (LY) President Wang Jin-pyng
told AIT that he expects the Pan-Blue to maintain its LY
majority despite the PFP's declining popularity. Wang
projected that there would be virtually no change in the
balance between the two camps from the 2001 election. Wang
downplayed prospects that the KMT and PFP would complete
their merger before the December LY election. He told AIT
that given the acrimonious relations between all the parties,
constructive debate on legislation pending before the LY,
including the supplemental defense budget, will be difficult.
Wang's prediction that the Pan-Blue will prevail may reflect
more his hope to remain speaker than it does cold political
realities. End Summary.

December LY Election
--------------


2. (C) Commenting on each party's prospects in the December
11 LY election, Wang told AIT October 6 that he thought the
DPP would win 86 of 225 elected seats. The TSU, Wang said
would win 15-16 seats, giving the Pan-Green alliance 101-102
seats in the next LY session. Wang estimated that the KMT
would win 76-78 seats (including four from the New Party).
He was less optimistic about the PFP's election prospects.
Wang initially predicted that the PFP would gain 46 seats.
Then in the same breath, he revised this number down to 43,
thought for a moment, and changed the number to 35. After
more thought, he settled on 38-39, as the number of seats he
expected the PFP to win, giving the Pan-Blue 114-117 seats.
Wang pointed out that even if the Pan-Green were to win
another 4 seats, the Pan-Blue would still be the largest camp
with 110-113 seats. Wang said that he expected that a few
pro-Blue independents would give the Blue a working majority.

Bad time for multi-partisan cooperation
--------------


3. (C) Wang told AIT that he was also trying to heal the
growing rift between the KMT and PFP but many KMT legislators
saw the PFP's decline in the polls as being beneficial to
their election prospects. Wang could not explain why KMT
elders, such as former Premier Lee Huan, had been attacking
PFP Chairman James Soong in the press. As the currently
situation stands, Wang said he did not expect a KMT-PFP
merger before the December election.


4. (C) Wang said the relations between all the parties are
extremely acrimonious at the moment, which has made
coordination and cooperation on legislation pending before
the LY very difficult. He cited the special defense
procurement budget as an example (Reftel). He also
complained that the Presidential Office is trying to taint
his reputation within the Pan-Blue by creating an impression
that he is colluding with the DPP on various issues and
fronts. He said that those rumors had made it difficult for
him to operate effectively within the KMT. When asked about
the effect of local media reports about his meeting with
former President Lee Teng-hui, Wang evaded the question and
said that Lee cannot abide Chen Shui-bian and called those
meetings to rant about Chen.

Comment: Silent as an oyster
--------------


5. (C) Throughout the conversation Wang was clearly measuring
each word and impression like the skilled backroom machine
politician he has long been. In response to rumors that he
has "green bones" and has been working with Chen Shui-bian
and Lee Teng-hui, and to questions about his role within the
KMT, Wang was as guarded as ever. As usual, he attacked Chen
and the Presidential Office for efforts to undermine him, and
even complained that they were tapping his telephones and
conversations.


6. (C) Wang's assessment of the Pan-Blue's election prospects
appear to be on the optimistic end, giving his side about
four percentage points higher than what other political
observers are estimating. While most observers agree that a
major shift in LY balance is unlikely, Wang's numbers assume
that voters disillusioned with the PFP would automatically
shift their support to the KMT. The estimate may be even
more unrealistic, given the almost total lack of a Pan-Blue
election strategy, a subject we will address septel.
However, since Wang's own political future hinges on the
Pan-Blue maintaining a majority so that he can remain
speaker, it is not surprising that he would see the cup more
than half full.
PAAL