Tang again denies intention to resign post

A local newspaper reported yesterday that Premier Tang Fei (唐飛) would resign in late November after the government's 2001 budget plan has been passed by the legislature. Tang, however, resolutely denied such speculation yesterday morning.

"It is absolutely not true. Rumors are flying around all over the place," Tang said, while attending the Taiwan Investment and Operation Round Table (台灣投資與營運圓桌會議) organized by Economist Conferences (經濟學人會議).

Vice Premier Chang Chung-hsiung (張俊雄), who accompanied Tang at the round-table, also denied rumors that "Tang's position is hazardous.

"Given Tang's personality, if he were in a tenuous position, would he stay?" Chang asked.

Government Information Office Director-General Chung Chin (鍾琴) later reiterated that Tang has no intention of resigning from his position.

"Since Tang decided to accept President Chen's [陳水扁] invitation to head the Cabinet, he has done his best and will see the job through to the end," Chung said at a press conference, adding that Tang was himself surprised to read the newspaper report of his supposed intention to resign.

Chung said that the public should not apply the pattern of party politics to the current "Chen-Tang administration" (陳唐體制) and, therefore, conclude that ideological differences between Chen and Tang would result in obstacles to their cooperation.

"There is good communication between the president and the premier. They talk about almost everything," Chung stressed.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Office's Deputy Secretary-General, Chen Che-nan (陳哲男), yesterday also said that "there is no such thing," referring to Tang's reported resignation plan. "I've never heard of it. It's immoral to report such information at this time," Chen said at the Legislative Yuan.

Despite denials from all quarters, speculation of this sort once again forces a decision on Tang: to either succumb to pressure from those who hope to see him leave or to transform into positive energy the dissatisfaction with his leadership expressed by those who wish him to stay but insist that he carry out his role as premier more effectively.

"Tang's first mission to maintain political stability and to ease cross-strait tensions is already complete. Therefore, he should now demonstrate his leadership in the Cabinet," said political analyst Julian Kuo (郭正亮) of Soochow University, a former director of the DPP's policy department.

Kuo told the Taipei Times that "it is obvious that the DPP has been disappointed with Tang's performance as premier," and that "Chen's `government for all the people' (全民政府) can no longer work since Tang is not able to gain support from his own party, the KMT."

KMT Legislator Apollo Chen (陳學聖) echoed Kuo's view, saying "Tang's remaining at the post is meaningless now. He is facing a dilemma as to whether to stay or go, but remaining means nothing if he cannot function as a communication channel between the DPP-led government and the KMT-dominated legislature," Apollo Chen said, adding that the president showed insufficient confidence in Tang's ability to lead the Cabinet.

Kuo, however, argued that the "Chen-Tang administration" was operated by individuals instead of by a team, which led to a confusion of authority between Chen and Tang.

Kuo, stressing the importance of political negotiations, thus urged Chen to revert to traditional party politics and establish either a minority government (少數政府) or a coalition government (聯合政府).