Experts predict rough time for a DPP premier

Chiu Hai-yuan (瞿海源), president of the Taipei Society (澄社), an intellectual group that monitors the government, yesterday predicted and recommended that the future premier should be a DPP member.

Wang Yeh-li (王業立), chairman of the political science department at Tunghai University (東海大學), agreed that there is a higher possibility for a DPP member to be chosen to be the new premier. But he expressed pessimism about the often contentious interaction between the Legislative Yuan controlled by the KMT and the DPP government.

Chiu said poor coordination between members of the Cabinet prompted Premier Tang to resign. He traced the problem to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) having hand-picked most of the Cabinet members.

As a result, Chiu said, Tang was unable to coordinate the many different opinions in the Cabinet and solidly defend certain policies.

"The nuclear plant is just a minor affair," Chiu said. "The poor interaction between the Presidential Office and the Executive Yuan was another problem for Tang," Chiu said.

Problems with Tang's premiership became apparent when Wu Nai-jen (吳乃仁), the DPP's secretary-general, harshly criticized the premier's performance.

The DPP had frequently targeted Tang because Chen had appointed the premier with little consultation of other DPP members, a move which has been widely criticized.

"Tang's resignation shows that the relationship between the Presidential Office and the Executive Yuan needs to be improved," Chiu said.

According to the Constitution, the president chooses the premier and announces the premier's choice of Cabinet members.

Chiu, however, pointed out that Chen had greatly interfered in the process of choosing Cabinet members.

Meanwhile, Chiu said that Chen's accepting the former minister of national defense's resignation indicated the president's confidence in his command over the military.

The choice of Tang for the premiership was widely seen as a move aimed at placating the military after the first change of ruling parties in over 50 years.

Chiu suggested it is now more possible for a DPP member to be chosen as the new premier.

He also said it is not the right time to form an efficient coalition government.

According to the Taipei Society, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) is unwilling to cooperate with the DPP to form a coalition government.

A coalition with the PFP, another minority party in the legislature, would still not provide enough of a boost to control the legislature.

Wang agreed that Chen did not have time to negotiate with the KMT to decide on a premier from the former ruling party.

Wang said the DPP's minority status in the legislature would not be helped with the selection of a DPP premier. The majority KMT would continue to oppose passage of bills handed down from the Executive Yuan, he said.

Lee Si-kuen, a political science professor at National Taiwan University, said that Tang was clearly fed up with his job.

The professor said Tang's strong personality made him ill-suited for the premiership. Because the premier is not elected, he has little real power and in the end must do the bidding of the president, he said.