Newest DPP faction has a bone to pick

DPP lawmaker Trong Chai (蔡同榮) intends to show his displeasure with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) by organizing a new faction within the party.

Trong says he has already galvanized support for the group, which will be called the "New Taiwan" faction.

"We know that nearly 20 DPP lawmakers are willing to join Chai's new faction," said Tsai Haung-liang (蔡煌瑯), a former DPP legislative caucus leader.

"Those party members obviously don't want to be completely controlled by President Chen," Tsai Huang-liang said.

"The ruling DPP's failure in the vice speaker election on February 1 gave them an excuse to organize a new political group."

Tsai Huang-liang pointed out that some faction leaders didn't agree with President Chen's choice in the contest for speaker and vice speaker and are unhappy about the Cabinet reshuffle.

"The president promoted hand-picked politicians to replace some Cabinet members," said a lawmaker who plans to join Chai's new faction.

"Those politicians all belong to either the president's Justice Faction (正義連線) or are former Taipei City government officials from President Chen's term as mayor."

A high-ranking official from DPP headquarters said that the party used to have an understanding about power sharing among factions.

"Now the tradition has been broken by President Chen as he tries to place all resources under his control," the official said.

Dissatisfaction among faction leaders appears to have been triggered by the speaker and vice speaker elections.

The president insisted that DPP members support the KMT's Wang Jing-pyng (王金平) as speaker. For vice speaker, Chen nominated the DPP's Hong Chi-chang (洪奇昌).

"Some senior party members, who are also lawmakers, began to criticize President Chen publicly after the DPP lost the vice speaker election," said Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), a DPP lawmaker who belongs to the Justice faction.

President Chen's handling of the election for caucus leader has also added to critics' complaints.

"They refused to support the president's arrangement for the DPP legislative caucus leaders' election," Chen Chi-mai said.

President Chen chose Chen Chi-mai to assume the post of caucus leader, but he lost the election to Hsu Rong-shu (許榮淑). Hsu was once critical of party lawmakers for using President Chen's name to hand out political resources.

Chen Chi-mai stressed that some faction members in the party's legislative caucus are trying to create an atmosphere of opposition to the president.

"Trong Chai and Hsu Rong-shu had expressed their desire to run for the speaker and vice speaker positions but President Chen persuaded them to give up that effort. That prompted party lawmakers who are not satisfied with President Chen to create a new power."

On whether the new faction will become strong enough to threaten Chen's leadership, former DPP secretary general Chiou I-jen (邱義仁), now minister without portfolio, said that factions will neither shape the conflict inside the party nor bring about the party's separation.

"No one in the party wants to fight with the president," Chiou said. "It is natural that some party heavyweights will try to find a stage for themselves."