Chen says infighting hindering DPP

The DPP's transition into a ruling party hasn't been a smooth one -- and factional infighting is partly to blame -- President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) writes in his new book, which arrived in bookstores yesterday.

In addition, Chen writes in The Premier Voyage of the Century (世紀首航) that the DPP may lose the opportunity to govern if it continues to behave as an opposition party.

He puts some of the blame for the party's troubles on the DPP's factions, saying they have put their own interests ahead of those of the nation.

"The DPP's transformation into a ruling party after its triumph in the presidential election last year has not taken place successfully," Chen writes.

The DPP was founded as an opposition party. But "being a ruling party, the party's methods of operation have to be absolutely different from those of the past," Chen says.

The president writes that he has repeatedly called for party reforms, but "very few members really care, and very few are really moving in that direction."

"A fair percentage of the DPP's members have not made the transition to their new status," leading to complaints from other party members.

"This might be the only chance the DPP has to rule, because of its failure to transform itself," Chen warns.

Another significant factor in the administration's failure to transform is internal discord, according to Chen.

Given that party heavyweights belong to different DPP factions, the political reality is that many party members put factional interests above those of the nation.

"[When] the interests of the factions conflict with those of the nation, what do you think is more important -- party factions, or the national strength?" Chen says.

In another chapter, Chen says that under Taiwan's Constitution the government is a presidential system. Regardless of the results of the year-end elections, the right to form the Cabinet is clear -- "the ruling party has the right to form the Cabinet."

Still, Chen said the DPP was willing to have members of the opposition parties serve as Cabinet ministers

"We don't have any pre-set conditions, nor have we preconditions on who will be our partners," he writes. "We don't rule out any possibilities. However, the right to form the Cabinet lies with the ruling party -- this remains intact."

In addition, Chen comes out in defense of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), his closest political ally in recent months.

Chen says he disagrees with criticism made against Lee by opposition politicians who claim that Lee's reappearance on the political stage was designed to fuel ethnic tensions.

Chen said that one-time KMT members Jaw Shaw-kung (趙少康) and James Soong (宋楚瑜) left that party to found their own parties, the New Party and People First Party. So "why can't Lee do the same?" Chen says.

"Why hasn't anyone said the reason for [Jaw and Soong's] split with the KMT was because of ethnic differences? But [Lee's formation of a new party] is?" Chen writes.

Chen also accuses the opposition parties of colluding to hinder his administration.

According to Chen, the opposition formed an alliance after the government's announcement of its decision to discontinue the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant project last November. The DPP faced its biggest crisis when the alliance launched a recall drive against Chen.