Despite DPP optimism that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) leadership will guide the party -- and hence the country -- into a new era, academics cast doubt on the proposition yesterday.
"President Chen is walking the KMT's old road by chairing the party. I am worried about whether he can keep the exercise of power in the two offices separate," said Yang Chung-hsin (
Chiu Hei-yuan (瞿海源), a sociology professor at National Taiwan University and a member of the Taiwan Society, commented on the complication of DPP reforms and said that he doesn't believe Chen is capable of achieving the goal.
"DPP legislators have complained about not being part of policy-making, and I have my doubts about whether Chen will be able to more successfully influence legislators who have shown little willingness to cooperate in the past," Chiu said.
"Will Chairman Chen make up policies first and seek help from his administration or will President Chen establish policies and then seek the cooperation of DPP lawmakers? This will be a tough issue for him," Chiu added.
"Chairing the party is not the way to solve current domestic problems, but will merely create more," Chiu remarked.
But party stalwarts remain undaunted, sure that President Chen's leadership is a prescription for a healthier DPP and nation.
Chang Chao-lu (張兆路), a DPP party congress representative, said he believes that President Chen will bring reforms to the party.
"Up until now, [the party's] central headquarters has poorly coordinated communications between the Executive and Legislative Yuans. But with President Chen serving as a channel between them, things will improve markedly," lawmaker Duan Yi-kang (段宜康) said.
Legislators Chen Chi-mai (
"President Chen will handle disputes between the Legislative and Executive Yuans more effectively," Chen said.
"The cooperation between the Presidential Office, the Executive Yuan, the party's legislative caucus and DPP headquarters will be much smoother," lawmaker Yeh Yi-jin (
It's been widely stated that since Chen took office in May 2000, the DPP has functioned poorly, and has failed to coordinate between its legislative caucus and the Cabinet, while the Presidential Office has refused to engage in party activities.
The situation apparently brought Chen to the conclusion that he had to break his promise to stay out of party affairs.
"Now that he is [DPP] chairman, the president can discuss national policy with party leaders from the Legislative Yuan and Executive Yuan through the weekly meeting of the DPP Central Standing Committee," a close aide to the president told the Taipei Times.
"And now the president will personally lead the DPP in carrying out party reform, which is the only way to breathe new life into the DPP," the aide added.
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