Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Chiang Wan An (蔣萬安) – grandson of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) and a potential KMT candidate for Taipei mayor – recently proposed changing the name of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall to Taiwan Development Memorial Hall to commemorate all Taiwanese who helped in Nation building over the past seven decades, including former presidents Chiang Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國).
Chiang Wan-an said that the two previous presidents contributed greatly to the development of Taiwan during the Cold War era, and this achievement should be the goal of any political party in Taiwan.
When asked what to do with the giant statue of Chiang Kai-shek in the hall, Chiang Wan-an said that there should be enough communication before any action was taken, and that this was not an issue that could be decided by one person, a party or a few lawmakers.
Chiang Wan-an’s suggestion sparked heated debate. DPP legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said Chiang Wan-an’s proposal showed his “concern” about his chances of being elected, while DPP legislator Hong Son Han (洪申翰) urged him to take his predecessor’s statue with him. The head of the Sun Yat-sen School, Zhang Yazhong (張亞 中), a deep blue figure who ran in last year’s KMT leadership election, called Chiang Wan’an a “personal proposal,” while accusing him of “singing the DPP tune.”
What’s interesting about Chiang Wan-an’s suggestion is not his proposed name for the hall, but the timing and purpose of the move, and how it sheds light on his personality and leadership.
To be sure, the proposal is politically motivated. Despite his initial lead in the polls, recent polls show the independent vote swinging toward Taipei Vice Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊). With this proposal, Chiang Wan believed he could win the return of independent voters by taking a “neutral” approach to resolving an issue deemed “off-limits” to KMT members.
However, his movement perturbed the feathers of the deep-blue voters, while the swing voters showed no signs of gathering behind him. To the dark blue electorate, the hall commemorates the general, a god-like figure who led them through war and decline, and the mere suggestion of renaming it is a sacrilege to his memory.
To swing voters, while the word “development” sounds neutral, Chiang Wan-an’s emphasis on the contribution of his predecessors only shows his tendency to cover up Chiang’s mistakes and the damage done to Taiwan.
Furthermore, when asked about concrete suggestions and actions regarding his proposal, such as removing the statue, Chiang Wan-an bent the question. It is true that the transformation of the hall cannot be “decided by one person,” but it is also safe to assume that Taipei residents will want to see more of a demonstration of driving and vision. If Chiang Wan-an cannot show the public that he is ready for mayor, he will only see his support waning further, and eventually lose the mayoral race for Taipei, a city the KMT sees as its stronghold.
Chiang Wan-an must start thinking about specific policies for Taipei if he is elected, because his reliance on his predecessors will not lead him to the finish line in the election. If he can follow in more detail about his proposal and show the public that he is going his own way by moving away from the KMT’s deep blue path, he will shed his image as a “party boy” and renew his election hopes.
For the majority of Taipei residents, pedigree is not the first thing that comes to mind when choosing a mayor; They care more about the candidate’s competence and leadership.
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