Thu, Nov 15, 2001 page3

• DPP works toward a broad alliance

  TENTATIVE COOPERATION The DPP promised `possible' coalitions while the KMT said speculation that it will lose legislators after the elections is based on DPP propaganda

  • By Joyce Huang and Stephanie Low / STAFF REPORTERS
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  DPP legislative whip Lin Feng-hsi (林豐喜) yesterday said that the party had discussions with at least 28 opposition lawmakers, who he said have not ruled out the possibility of cooperating with the ruling party to form a majority to dominate the reshuffled legislature.

  "There will be more and all of them have to be upright and decent candidates. A list of names will be made public after the elections," Lin told reporters yesterday, adding that these would-be legislators would not necessarily join the DPP after the coalition is formed.

  Lin's remarks followed earlier comments by DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), who said that the party would later pick a coalition partner depending on each party's election performance.

  Meanwhile, Hsieh yesterday called for politicians from across party lines to endorse the implementation of legislative reforms after the Dec. 1 elections.

  He urged all legislative candidates to sign the party's endorsement papers, thus pledging their future support for pushing legislative reforms.

  `Sunshine policy'

  The reform plan, which was proposed by the DPP yesterday, calls for cutting the 225-member legislature by half, changing the nation's electoral method to a single-member-district/two-vote system and setting out "sunshine policy" laws in order to officially monitor party and elected officials' assets.

  "The purpose [of the endorsement signatures] is to carry out the principles of party politics. If [candidates] fail to put down their names on the endorsement list before the elections, then it won't be easy to ask them to live up to their promises after getting elected," Hsieh said.

  He added that some legislators have rejected the legislative reforms, although the DPP has proposed 30 bills and the KMT has proposed nine bills to facilitate the reforms.

  Throwing their support behind the party's move, nine DPP legislative candidates running in Taipei City, including Lo Wen-chia (羅文嘉) and Wang Hsueh-fung (王雪峰), yesterday took the lead in endorsing the act.

  Meanwhile, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) yesterday reaffirmed the party's claim that the party winning the majority of legislative seats -- or a majority alliance -- should lead the formation of the Cabinet after the Dec.1 elections.

  Lien said the KMT would not rule out the possibility of allying with any political party if it remained the largest party after the elections, though he said it is easier for like-minded parties to create alliances.

  But the KMT would in any case only discuss the matter after the elections and would insist that any such cooperation plan be established through party-to-party negotiations, Lien said.

  "We won't rule out any possibility with respect to this question. Party-to-party negotiations will be a necessary step," Lien said, when questioned by reporters during a campaign tour in Taichung.

  Lien, however, suggested that the new Cabinet should be formed according to the constitutional framework -- rather than one person's choice -- after the elections.

  He dismissed the DPP's claim that the president has the "indirect power to form the Cabinet" as being unconstitutional.

  "Politics should be based on the idea of majority rule," Lien said. "If the DPP continues to lead a minority government, it will be like taking the people's political power hostage, which will be unconstitutional," Lien said.

  Strict examination

  Lien said the Dec. 1 legislative and local government elections are typical of interim elections usually seen in democratic countries. He said it is in these elections where the ruling party will face a strict examination by the electorate.

  Lien argues that this is especially true for the DPP, who, halfway through its rule, has "led" the nation's economy into a severe recession.

  He urged the DPP to respect the majority opinion as it will be expressed in the Dec. 1 polls, saying the opposition would otherwise assume its "constitutional responsibility."

  Though Lien would not elaborate on what this "responsibility" entails, it is widely believed to mean the instigation of a no-confidence vote against the premier.

  Lien's remarks came as the possibility of post-election coalitions has again become a hot issue, following a recent proposal by two "pro-localization" KMT legislative candidates that the KMT should form a coalition Cabinet with the DPP, instead of with the PFP -- to ensure political stability and the KMT's continued development.

  This proposal has also fueled speculation that a struggle over the party's policies could erupt within the KMT after the elections -- which may lead to certain KMT politicians defecting to the DPP.

  Chao Shou-po (趙守博), director-general of the KMT's Organization and Development Committee, said these were false rumors spread by the DPP in an attempt to split the KMT.
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