Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), the speaker of the legislature, said yesterday that he would continue to "remain neutral" if he is re-elected as speaker.
Wang also suggested that he will not join the "national stabilization alliance" proposed by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
Wang, who is also a KMT vice chairman, said he cannot go against his party's will and join the "cross-party alliance for national stabilization" because both the KMT and People First Party have decided not to be a part of it.
"How would my party treat me if I am in violation of the party's will?" Wang told a group of newly elected legislators of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) during their orientation tour of the legislature.
During the 30-minute gathering, Hsu Den-koun (許登宮), the only incumbent TSU lawmaker, said the party wishes Wang could take part in the stability alliance and quit his post as KMT vice chairman.
Hsu said that would make him the legislative speaker of the nation, not just of one particular political party.
Prior to the Dec. 1 elections, President Chen initiated plans to form a stability alliance comprised of 120 of the legislature's 225 lawmakers, to help the government push through legislation vital to the national interest.
Taiwan's former president, Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), the TSU's spiritual leader, has thrown his weight behind Wang's bid for re-election, saying that Wang is a temperate and politically astute candidate.
But despite this, it has been the TSU's continued position that Wang must first join the alliance to win the party's endorsement for the Feb. 1 election of the legislative speaker.
Wang said it was too early to focus on the matter because the structure of the alliance is far from clear -- and he said even the president did not demand that Wang join the alliance when they met recently.
Wang assured the legislators-elect that he would maintain his objectivity when hosting legislative sessions. It is widely believed that Wang has a good chance of retaining his post because his performance over the past three years has won wide public support.
The TSU -- a fledgling pro-Taiwan party -- grabbed 13 seats in its first legislative election due in large part to Lee's backing.
Shu Chin-chiang (蘇進強), the TSU's secretary-general, told Wang that he hopes the legislative speaker will treat all parties with equality, irrespective of the number of seats each party holds.
"The 13 TSU legislators will not be the disruptive minority in the legislature. They will be the pivotal minority which cooperates with the government and they will strive to exert their influence to stabilize the political scene," Shu said.
After their encounter with Wang, the TSU lawmakers-elect met with the DPP caucus. DPP caucus leaders Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) and Lin Feng-hsi (林豐喜) greeted their future colleagues with a warm welcome.
Shu said that the minor conflicts that occurred between the two parties during the elections will not harm their cooperation in the future.
The members from both sides then shook hands, symbolizing their commitment to maintain friendly relations in the future.
To familiarize the incoming TSU legislators with legislative processes and regulations, the party will hold a two-day seminar in Hsinchu, starting from today. Former president Lee will give lectures at the event.
RSS