The political group Mountain (山) yesterday said the upcoming cross-party economic advisory council will be an unnecessary exercise unless President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has a plan to form a coalition government immediately after the council's meeting and quickly turn the council's suggestions into policy.
The recommendations of the group, however, carry little weight since it is largely composed of renegades from various political parties, mainly from the DPP, at the end of their serious political careers.
"The formation of this council means that the president has admitted the failure of his government. Only if we replace the government can we restore public faith in it and the economy," said former DPP chairman Hsu Hsin-liang (許信良), a co-founder of the group.
If the council is to serve the function of stabilizing the political scene, Chen should hold negotiations with opposition parties, alongside the council meeting, to discuss the formation of a coalition Cabinet, the group proposed in an official statement.
Chen should stop hanging its hopes on the year-end legislative elections and delaying the coalition government's formation, the statement said.
Hsu said the reshuffled Cabinet should include members of all major parties and be capable of implementing "economic politics," because the biggest problem with the DPP government is its lack of professionalism on economic issues, and now it needs to gain opposition parties' support.
"If this continues to be a DPP government, how can we expect the opposition parties to throw their support behind it and let the DPP win the elections?
"This is simply against the common sense of politics," Hsu said.
In addition to Hsu, Shih Ming-teh (
Both Hsu and Shih have quit the DPP and have been critical of President Chen's refusal to form a coalition government according to the principle of a semi-presidency, despite the DPP's minority status in the legislature.
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