Checks, balances to top the agenda at Soong-Lien meeting

Chairman of the People First Party (PFP) James Soong (宋楚瑜) yesterday proposed meeting with KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) in the near future to exchange views on how to conduct mild and rational checks and balances on the government.

Soong, however, is lukewarm about DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) recent invitation to meet, saying he needs to see if Hsieh has any particular agenda for discussion before responding to the invitation.

According to Soong, issues concerning the constitutional framework and cooperation in the races for the Legislative Yuan speakership and vice speakership may be raised during the Lien-Soong meeting.

Soong said the discussion is not intended to form an alliance to antagonize the DPP.

Soong said he has instructed his staff to contact the KMT to arrange the meeting and that both sides should be able to quickly fix a date for their discussion.

As for the candidates favored by the PFP for the speakership and vice speakership legislative positions in the event of inter-party cooperation, Soong said the PFP has not yet discussed the matter with other parties.

However, Soong confirmed that many candidates have approached the PFP for its support, but that the party has not yet made a final decision on the matter because the party leadership still needs to hold a discussion with members of its legislative caucus.

During the last Lien-Soong meeting held last month soon after the Dec. 1 legislative elections, Lien had sought the PFP's support for Wang Jin-pyng's (王金平) re-election bid for the speakership.

The KMT has so far not indicated its preference for the vice speakership.

Sitting vice speaker Yao Eng-chi (饒穎奇), also from the KMT, has expressed his intention to seek re-election. Re-elected PFP lawmaker Shen Chih-hwei (沈智慧) and David Chung (鍾榮吉), PFP secretary-general who will become a legislator-at-large in the next legislature, are reportedly also interested in the position.

KMT Secretary-general Lin Fong-cheng (林豐正) yesterday reiterated that his party will throw full support behind Wang.

Meanwhile, on the PFP's planning for the year-end Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral races, Soong said the party has not conducted any party-to-party contact on the issue.

Soong said his party will work out a process to select its candidates for the races in February and try to reach a consensus within the party.