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KMT refuses to let Siew represent president at APEC

The KMT has officially notified the Presidential Office that it will not permit party vice chairman Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) to represent President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) at this year's APEC summit in Brunei.

Secretary-general of the Presidential Office Yu Shyi-kun said at a press conference yesterday that he had visited KMT headquarters on Tuesday to deliver a personal letter Chen had written to KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰). The letter asked the KMT to reverse its decision and allow Siew to go.

But in a response Lien wrote to Chen -- that was delivered to the Presidential Office by KMT Secretary-general Lin Feng-cheng (林豐正) yesterday afternoon -- Lien said that the trust between the ruling and the opposition parties had been destroyed, and that Siew should not represent the president in Brunei.

Siew, Taiwan's former premier, has been the KMT government's representative to the APEC summit in the past. The KMT, however, changed its mind and decided not to allow Siew to represent the president after a political dispute over the timing of the policy announcement to halt the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant project.

According to Yu, Chen told Siew in a phone conversation yesterday that he still considered him to be the most appropriate representative. Siew, however, said that he will not go to Brunei without the KMT's permission.

Meanwhile, local media reported yesterday that Siew has suggested Chen send Central Bank of China Governor Perng Fai-nan (彭淮南) to the meeting, which is only seven days away.

Yu refused to comment on the matter, saying that uncertainty still remains. According to Yu, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently negotiating with the host country. "I won't reveal who Taiwan's representative is before Brunei says yes," Yu said.
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