Government officials and DPP lawmakers yesterday dismissed speculation that the ruling party is secretly launching the "cross-party alliance for national stabilization," despite signs that suggest otherwise.
Tsai Huang-liang (
The "cross-party alliance for national stabilization" was initiated by President Chen during the run-up to last year's legislative elections.
The proposed alliance would consist of a group of 120 lawmakers that would support the government's policy initiatives and follow four objectives set down by the president.
According to Chen, the four objectives are: switching to a single-member district, two-vote electoral system; opposing "one country, two systems"; implementing the 322 points of agreement reached at the Economic Development Advisory Conference; and implementing national social-welfare policies.
However the alliance has not come into being due to opposition from the KMT and PFP.
Speculation is mounting that the DPP has been making efforts to lure lawmakers across party lines in a bid to initiate the proposed alliance.
On Feb. 1, PFP lawmaker Chiu Chuang-liang (邱創良) took his party by surprise when he announced he was quitting the party on the day of the legislative speaker and vice speaker elections.
He also announced he would vote for the DPP's candidate for the vice speakership, Hong Chi-chang (
Chiu claimed that he was disappointed with the PFP's discrimination against Taiwanese party members, despite its claim of embracing ethnic unity.
Hong lost the race with 106 votes compared with 115 for the KMT's Chiang Ping-kung (
The second round was necessary because neither candidate managed to win an outright majority in the first vote.
On Feb. 22, KMT lawmaker Yang Jen-fu (楊仁福) announced he was withdrawing from KMT legislative operations after his request to join the legislature's economics and energy committee was denied.
He also accused KMT legislative whip Lin Yi-shih (
Eight-term KMT lawmaker Hung Chao-nan (
The position became vacant after Hong Yuh-chin (
Hung, who has served as a deputy executive director of the committee for many years, has expressed a keen interest in taking over as the executive director.
Instead of appointing Hung to succeed Hong, however, the party offered the position to Tseng Yung-chuan (
Independent lawmaker Kao Meng-ting (
But Yao Chia-wen (
"But it doesn't necessarily mean that the alliance will not be formed in the future if the DPP enjoys a pleasant and steady cooperative relationship with other legislative caucuses on certain issues," he said.
Tsai, a former chief executive of the DPP legislative caucus and a member of the party's Justice Alliance (正義連線) faction founded by the president, said that the DPP caucus is indeed offering certain incentives to lure lawmakers across party lines to either join the party caucus or participate in party operations.
"Since we don't have many resources available, the only thing we can offer is that they'll get priority nomination should they join the DPP caucus," Tsai said.
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