A high-ranking government official and former close advisor to President Chen Shui-bian (
"Chen should consider hosting a roundtable meeting with the top leaders of the three main opposition parties -- the KMT, PFP and the New Party -- and communicating with them in accordance with the Constitution when making major policy decisions," said Lin Chia-cheng (林嘉誠), chairman of the Cabinet-level Research, Development and Evaluation Commission.
Lin made his comments yesterday, during a television call-in program.
Speaking on the same program, Soochow University professor Julian Kuo (郭正亮) suggested that the Executive Yuan forge a consultative channel with the legislature to smooth out government operations.
"My observation is that Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (
Kuo said the KMT, which ruled Taiwan for 55 years until May 20 and still controls 115 of the 220 legislative seats, should re-open its doors for consultations with the minority DPP government.
Lin agreed with Kuo's views, saying that the Presidential Office and the Cabinet should make joint efforts to break the current standoff between the DPP-led government and the opposition-dominated legislature over the nuclear power issue.
Noting that the DPP should shoulder the lion's share of the blame for the present political stalemate, Lin said the Cabinet has formally filed for a constitutional interpretation by the Council of Grand Justices concerning the legality of its decision to scrap the partially built US$5.5 billion nuclear power plant, a pet project of the previous KMT government.
Lin said the Cabinet will fully respect the Grand Justices' final ruling.
Opposition lawmakers have formed a coalition to promote a crusade to oust Chen since his administration announced its decision to halt construction of the controversial nuclear power plant barely half an hour after a high-profile meeting between Chen and KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
But after passing laws which would give them the power to carry out a recall, overall support for the move in the Legislative Yuan appears to be waning. The vote to pass recall legislation was supported with the vote of 131 lawmakers.
If opposition lawmakers were to vote President Chen out of office they would need 147 votes.
Many political analysts have said the televised apology to Lien Chan last Sunday over the timing of the announcement to scrap the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant has helped ease tensions between the government and the legislature.
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