KMT shuns role in the president's alliance scheme

The KMT yesterday said it would not join the "cross-party alliance for national stabilization" organized by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) but that it will accept party-to-party negotiations with the DPP.

KMT spokesman Wang Chih-kang (王志剛) also said that KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) will meet with President Chen to exchange views on national affairs.

Wang said the KMT will cooperate with the People First Party in the legislature based on past cooperation within the opposition alliance.

The decisions were made in a meeting hosted by Lien to discuss the post-election political scene and future development of the party.

Participants of the meeting included vice chairmen Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), Chiang Chung-ling (蔣仲苓), Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) and Lin Chen-chi (林澄枝) as well as Secretary-General Lin Fong-cheng (林豐正) and Chao Shou-po (趙守博), head of the Organization and Development Committee.

Though Chao has offered to resign to take the responsible for the party's failure in the legislative elections and Lin has also expressed his intention to follow suit, Lien reportedly preferred to put the issue aside for the time being.

In the meeting, the five vice chairmen also offered their support for Lien's leadership, Wang said.

"The KMT has always considered the `cross-party alliance for national stabilization' an organization outside the system that doesn't conform to the Constitution. We won't take part in it," Wang said.

"But it is necessary for the ruling party to communicate with the opposition and the KMT will not rule out the possibility of holding party-to-party negotiations with the DPP," Wang said.

Asked if this decision meant that the KMT would accept the DPP's offer to join the coalition Cabinet, Wang said any issues can be discussed as long as the discussion is conducted under the party-to-party framework and is in accordance with the Constitution.

On the KMT's cooperation plans with the PFP, Wang said the detail of the plan will only be finalized after leaders of the two parties have met to talk about it.

Lien called PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) immediately after Saturday's legislative polls to invite Soong to a meeting. According to KMT officials, the meeting may take place very soon.

PFP spokesman Hsieh Kung-ping (謝公秉) yesterday said the party will not reject contact with other parties so long as it contributes to political stability.

Though no party was able to win over half of the legislative seats, the total seats and vote share won by the KMT and PFP are just enough to constitute a majority, Hsieh noted.

The PFP's strong showing in the elections indicates that the public is expecting the emergence of a mild and rational political line in Taiwan, Hsieh said.

He said the PFP does not wish to see a split to occur in the KMT for the sake of political stability, and urged the DPP not to take advantage of splits in other parties to bolster its own power.

"The friendly interaction between political parties lies in the stability of the parties concerned," Hsieh said.