Members of the KMT's legislative caucus paid a visit yesterday to their colleagues in the People First Party (PFP) in search of future "cooperation," and made plans for further interaction next Wednesday in the form of a so-called "reconciliation coffee" (
DPP lawmakers and scholars, however, said the two parties' friendly overtures would not likely bring any further action toward the formation of a new coalition that might transform current political conditions in the legislature.
During a short courtesy call yesterday, the two parties, formerly one party before a split in the KMT during the last presidential election, appeared to "make friends" again.
"Since we are the opposition [parties] to the ruling DPP, we will have more space to cooperate with each other on policy-related and other issues," said KMT legislative caucus leader Lin Chien-jung (
PFP legislative caucus leader Chiu Chuang-liang (
"In spite of our differing ideas and opinions, we must stand together on the same front to supervise the incoming government," said Chiu.
Yesterday's meeting was not the first occasion of cross-party contact and cooperation by legislators.
In the two months since the presidential election, the DPP had itself made efforts to forge a sort of majority alliance in the legislature so as to assist President-elect Chen Shui-bian (
Those moves, however, came to a halt last week as a result of discord within the DPP -- although an ad hoc committee was set up to research the possibility of any future coalition.
Although the KMT - PFP meeting yesterday took place in what can be best described as "cheerful" circumstances, there are still question marks as to whether they will actually reach any specific consensus on legislative operations or further forge a real coalition.
DPP veteran lawmaker Hung Chi-chang (洪奇昌) stressed yesterday that there is little possibility that the KMT and the PFP would form an alliance in the short term because of antagonism that took place between the two in the lead up to the March election.
"It is difficult to forge any kind of stable cross-party coalition in the legislature, and future cross-party cooperation will be based on issues case by case," Hung said. "The DPP-led government, therefore, will have to suffer from this multiparty legislative ecology."
In fact, the DPP just holds 71 seats -- less than one-third of the total 224 seats in the legislature. The KMT, meanwhile, holds a mojority of 115 seats. Other parties, including the PFP, the New Party and non-party lawmakers, occupy the remaining 38 seats.
Lin Chia-lung (
"Most important, Chen must be careful to choose and promote those issues backed by public opinion -- such as opposition to `black gold' politics and to that end, halting of elections for grassroots officials. In this way it will be easier for Chen to hold power without resistance from the legislature," Lin said.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft