Whether Chen and Lu can renew their relationship as Clinton and Gore did remains to be seen. But Lu must understand her own role -- that she is aboard the same boat as the president. Any misunderstanding between them must be solved through internal channels. For Chen, the way to best empower his partner will be to cede substantive areas to her control.
Even though former US president John F. Kennedy's disenfranchisement of his vice president, Lyndon Johnson, is widely recognized, he did set an important precedent in assigning space exploration and NASA to Johnson. Clinton followed this course by assigning a huge portion of the administration's agenda to Gore's care. In this regard, Chen does deserve some credit for delegating the leadership of two national committees to Lu.
Lu must understand how important it is that she be a helping hand and not a stumbling block to the president. For the remainder of their term, Chen should not distance himself from Lu, but rather give her more opportunities to participate in the decision-making process. Lu in turn, should readjust her role and offer constructive assistance to Chen.
In the face of boycotts from the opposition, Chen cannot afford any trouble in his own camp. He needs an able vice president at his side.
Liu Kuan-teh is a Taipei-based political commentator.
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