Although DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) isn't sure which opposition party the DPP will eventually count on as an ally, he does know the public expects reconciliation among Taiwan's major political groups. In addition, he says the DPP shares much in common with the New Party and KMT when it comes to certain issues, such as "black gold" politics or cross-strait relations.
Taipei Times: Former DPP Chairman Shih Ming-teh (
Frank Hsieh: A poll showed that some 80 percent of the people expected political parties to take reconciliatory steps. Therefore, it will be an inevitable trend for the major parties to negotiate and establish communication channels.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
In the past, parties failed to do so because of antagonism of ideologies and the conflict of interests in elections that were over-politicized.
But I don't think there will be any problems in the future. However, internal integration within the party (
Internal integration means that every political party should be able to bind their members or legislators to fulfill agreements made through political negotiation.
TT: You've now met the chairmen of the three major parties. Which party do you think is likely to be the DPP's ally?
Hsieh: The DPP keeps equivalent relations with the KMT and the People First Party because the legislative seats these two parties hold now do not reflect votes they won in the presidential election.
So we don't know which is the biggest opposition party yet.
Theoretically, the PFP will grow faster according to votes [that James Soong (
We will decide which party to ally with according to the redistribution of legislative seats next year.
TT: What can the DPP do to cooperate with other parties?
Hsieh: It depends on the issues. The DPP and New Party can work together to eradicate "black gold" politics.
As far as measures to improve cross-strait relations are concerned, we share similar opinions with the KMT.
TT: What is the function of the "Forum for Party and Political Negotiations" (FPPN,
Hsieh: It prevents the party from formulating policies that violate the Presidential Office's or the Executive Yuan's policies.
Likewise, if policies from the Executive Yuan are incapable of being carried out they can be discussed further in the forum.
As long as they don't violate the DPP's platform, the Central Standing Committee -- the DPP's highest decision-making body -- will probably come up with resolutions to support those policies.
If the forum works, it will be easier for us to institutionalize the DPP's political ideals and urge the new government to realize the DPP's campaign promises.
TT: Why did DPP Secretary-General Wu Nai-jen (
Hsieh: Of course. If the Cabinet led by Tang fails to carry out sound policies, the DPP has to shoulder political responsibilities because Tang, along with other ministers, were appointed by President Chen Shui-bian (
The DPP's Central Standing Committee and the FPPN last week concluded that such criticism was too hasty because Tang has only been in office for two months. He was sick for the first month and besieged by legislative question-and-answer sessions for the second month.
Moreover, Tang is facing many political and economic difficulties that can't be solved in the short term.
I think recently he has been heading in the right direction, as he has called several Cabinet discussions to coordinate the formulation of policy.
TT: What impact has Wu's criticism caused?
Hsieh: Looking on the bright side, it put pressure on the Executive Yuan to work harder. As to whether it will influence the DPP's performance in the upcoming legislative election, overall I think that voters are rational even though they have higher expectations of the new government.
As long as we stand firm and articulate what DPP officials have achieved, I think voters will understand [the party has done its best].
TT: What do you think of the opposition parties' reaction to Wu's criticism?
Hsieh: Their support for Tang also shows their support for President Chen. However, the way they expressed their support for Tang under such circumstances wasn't sincere because they didn't believe he was really ill.
They all speculated that Tang was faking it and that he was suffering from a politically triggered disease. That means they looked at Tang as a conspirator.
I believe that he was really physically ill, since I myself visited him in the hospital.
TT: In that case, were you worried that Tang might not be healthy enough or physically capable to lead the Cabinet?
Hsieh: In a way, it actually touches me. The country needs him so much and Chen thinks he can play an important role in maintaining political stability.
Tang, on the other hand, knows he is in poor physical shape but he is still willing to serve the public. We should show more appreciation for him.
TT: What are the DPP's strategies in competing with other parties in next year's legislative election?
Hsieh: As a ruling party, it is inevitable for us to adopt a "middle road" campaign strategy in order to follow current social trends and win recognition from mainstream voters.
Because of this, the public may no longer distinguish the DPP from other parties in terms of our advocacy of Taiwan independence or our stance on cross-strait relations, since we've already proclaimed that Taiwan is an independent sovereign state and the name of our country is the Republic of China according to the Constitution.
The DPP, however, will put more emphasis on internal affairs such as the crackdown on "black gold" politics and the improvement of administrative effectiveness.
If we can accomplish something in the area of internal affairs, we will be able to persuade voters to support the DPP in next year's legislative election, and hopefully the DPP will become the de facto ruling party.
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