One person cannot be VP, premier: DPP

The DPP yesterday said if the alleged secret pact between KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) contributes to Soong taking the posts of vice president and the premier concurrently if the Lien-Soong ticket wins next year's presidential election, such a move would be inconsistent with the Constitution.

DPP Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) said according to a constitutional interpretation made by the Council of Grand Justices, the vice president serving concurrently as premier isn't in the spirit of the Constitution.

Chang called a press conference to respond to rumors that Lien has promised Soong the premiership if the pan-blue alliance's joint ticket wins next year's election.

The Constitution stipulates that the posts of the president and vice president should be taken by two individuals so that when the president dies or is unable to perform his duties, the vice president can succeed the president; or if both the presidential and vice presidential posts are absent, the premier should then succeed the presidential office.

"If the vice president concurrently serves as the premier, such a double protection device to preclude the possibility that the nation loses its leader granted by the Constitution would be seemingly nullified," Chang said.

The Council of Grand Justices also made clear in its Interpretation Number 419 that the vice president taking a concurrent position as premier doesn't fully correspond with the purpose of the Constitution, Chang said.

Nothing the late vice presidents Chen Cheng (陳誠) and Yen Chia-kan (嚴家淦) both served concurrently as premiers in 1958 and 1968 respectively during the KMT's rule, Chang said such were exceptional cases when Taiwan was ruled by martial law.

"Those were exceptional cases and were not customary practices according to the Constitution. Therefore, they are not pertinent in the context of our society now," Chang said.

Rumors the alleged under- the-table deals between Lien and Soong suggest that Lien promised he would run only in next year's presidential election and give Soong the chance to run in 2008 and as well as allow Soong to become the party chairman if the KMT and the PFP eventually merge.

DPP Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) said yesterday that the combination of Lien and Soong was basically a consequence of power sharing and that there was nothing surprising about seeing them dividing up the "political booty" once they were elected.

TSU caucus whip Lo Chih-ming (羅志明) said yesterday the rumor of the secret pact came from top KMT officials complaining that Soong's recent aggressive actions to dominate the pan-blue decision-making mechanism has marginalized the popular KMT star, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), from running in the 2008 presidential election, and prevented KMT Vice Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) from taking the premier post.

"It is a telltale sign of dissatisfaction and fears within the KMT regarding Soong's monopoly of power in the pan-blue alliance," Lo said.

DPP Wang Tuoh (王拓) said yesterday that when Chiang was promoted by Lien to be the KMT vice chairman in March, the PFP was rumored to be very upset about the move for fear that Lien would give Chiang the premier position and keep Soong from the post.

DPP Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said "A game to snatch political power has begun among the pan-blue politicians."

Tsai after KMT Vice Chairman Vincent Siew was attacked by his colleagues for agreeing to serve as an economic adviser to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-Pyng met with Soong over the Council of Grand Justices nominees, Chiang will the next target to be bullied.

Yesterday Chiang denied Tsai's comments, which he said were simply intended to upset the harmony of the KMT.

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