DPP lawmakers yesterday questioned the propriety of a decision by the cross-strait panel of the Economic Development Advisory Conference to invite national security officials to deliver a closed-door report tomorrow.
"The cross-strait panel stepped out of proper bounds by seeking a briefing from national security officials," said DPP lawmaker Lin Cho-shui (林濁水), who was accompanied by his colleague Hong Chi-chang (洪奇昌). "The meeting will only serve to politicize the forum, and is at odds with its purpose."
The briefing is to take place at the Mainland Affairs Council on tomorrow morning, according to Yeh Yu-mei (葉幼梅), assistant to New Party lawmaker Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆), who proposed the request.
Defending her boss, Yeh insisted that the briefing is necessary, as it is impossible to separate cross-strait affairs from economic development.
President Chen Shui-bian (
The 200-plus participants are divided into five panels whose findings will be reviewed by the whole conference later this month.
Lin urged members of the cross-strait panel, particularly from the opposition New Party, to exercise self-restraint and stop churning out what he called "nonsensical" suggestions.
During the panel's meeting earlier this week, scores of Taiwanese businessmen with investments in China pressed the government to allow them to take part in China's National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Days before, the panel suggested holding a meeting or two in China to help related agencies better understand the country and draw up sounder cross-strait policies.
"The National Security Council and National Security Bureau are not obligated to share classified intelligence with non-regular institutes like the Economic Development Advisory Conference," Lin contended. "It's enough to have Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (
Echoing the concern, Hong said it is odd for the two national security agencies, responsible for advising the Presidential Office, to report to an ad hoc consultative forum.
"I see no point of dragging security officials into the discussion, as they are not in a position to make public policy," Hong said. Without naming anyone, he said some attendants apparently are taking advantage of the economic forum to advance their own political agenda.
New Party legislator Lai took the series of charges to be targeted at him and, through an aide later in the day, tagged the criticism as sour grapes.
"The pair should have taken their grievances to their party, as Cabinet Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (
She pointed out that it is not the first time national security officials briefed a non-regular board, as the now-inactive President's Advisory Committee on Cross-Strait Affairs at one time enjoyed the privilege.
"Although the president has pledged to respect the findings of the economic conference, he may choose to set them aside later on the grounds of national security," Yeh said.
She added that the attack by the pair of DPP heavyweights deepened a suspicion among the opposition that the economic forum is aimed at creating an impression of national unity instead of finding real cures for the ailing economy.
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