Premier urges end to fighting

Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) urged all political parties yesterday to listen to the people and put an end to political fighting for private partisan gains.

Su made the remarks when answering questions about a report that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was mulling the possibility of allowing the majority party in the Legislative Yuan to form a Cabinet should Su be replaced by Chen or toppled by the opposition pan-blue alliance of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the People First Party (PFP).

The pan-blues are poised to launch a motion to recall Chen or topple Su's Cabinet due to a string of high-profile corruption scandals that allegedly involve members of Chen's family and his close aides.

Su denied any knowledge of the claim that Chen was considering allowing the legislative majority to form a new Cabinet and called on all political parties to refrain from following their own interests at a time when society was watching developments in the bids to instigate a presidential recall or topple the Cabinet.

As typhoon season approaches, the public is hoping that several key bills, including a budget plan regarding a flood prevention project, will be approved soon at the legislature -- even though it went into recess on May 30, Su said.

Lawmakers from the pan-green camp of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan Solidarity Union have led calls for an extra session in summer to debate several important bills still pending legislative approval.

Meanwhile, Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) commented that it was easier to promote a presidential recall motion than a motion to topple the Cabinet, as a proposal to topple the Cabinet would have little chance of passing the legislature because it would only benefit the KMT -- the largest opposition party -- should a general parliamentary election be held within two months of the legislature being dissolved.

The KMT and the PFP remain divided over whether a presidential recall motion or a proposal to topple the Cabinet should be launched to pressure Chen into resigning.

In related news, Su, DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun and DPP caucus chief Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) escaped unharmed from a fire at the Sheraton Taipei Hotel, where they were having a working lunch, trying to work out a solution to the current political gridlock.

Su was hosting the lunch when the fire alarm sounded at about 1pm, with black smoke billowing from the first floor of the hotel building.

The Taipei City Fire Department dispatched 20 fire engines, while reporters staking out the premier's lunch rushed out of the hotel lobby to film the fire.

Firemen extinguished the flames in about 20 minutes. As of press time they were still trying to establish the cause of the fire.

When confronted by reporters on the streets, Su said he was "not shocked" by the fire, adding that he and his guests had almost finished their lunch discussion by the time they were told to evacuate.

Su added that Yu, Ker and he had formed an "iron triangle" after good discussions, and that they had reached a consensus on many issues.

The Executive Yuan's request for an extra legislative session to debate urgent budget bills was also discussed, Government Information Office Minister Cheng Wen-tsai (鄭文燦) said.

also see story:

Pan-blues agree to extra session