President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday reiterated his plans to address the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) problem of factional politics, saying that government officials and party department heads should be barred from participating in the party's factional activities.
Speaking in his capacity as the DPP chairman, Chen yesterday told party officials that this ban is necessary in order to maintain administrative neutrality. However, among government officials, legislators would be exempt from this rule; while among party officials, members of Central Executive Committee, Central Standing Committee and Central Review Committee are exempt from this rule as well.
Chen made the announcement yesterday while meeting with outgoing directors of local DPP chapter offices. His announcement was seen as a response to suggestions that the party dissolve factional operations in order to prevent factional domination of the party's administration and election affairs.
"It is not something bad to have factions within the party, but if the factional activities have threatened to undermine the fairness of the party's system, we should face this problem seriously," Chen said.
"It is not easy to dissolve all the factions, but we can have some positive thoughts on how to alleviate this pressing matter, such as on how to maintain neutrality for party affairs and government administration," he said.
Chen reaffirmed his determination to push for reforms, saying the DPP is committed to reforms for the country's sustainable and long-term governance.
Responding to allegations of rampant vote-buying in the DPP primaries for the seats of legislators-at-large, the party yesterday unveiled reform ideas including tightening the qualifications for candidates, who would be required to have legislative or government administrative experience.
In addition, the weighting of party members' votes and public opinion polls for the legislators-at-large candidates in the primary will be changed to a 30 percent against 70 percent from the original 50-50 percent.
These initiatives would become effective if approved by the party's Central Executive Committee and would take effect in the 2007 Legislative elections.
Meanwhile, the party's weekly Central Standing Committee meeting yesterday invited Ruan Ming (阮銘), a former special assistant to the late general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Hu Yaobang (胡耀邦), to comment on China's recent hardline rhetoric toward Taiwan.
Ruan said China's current leaders focus on scientific development as opposed to their predecessor Jiang Zemin's (江澤民) overreliance on military expansion and antiscientific policies, which resulted in damage to the environment.
Ruan said last December's meeting between US President George W. Bush and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) set a tone for the future cross-strait developments in three areas: peace, development and democracy.
Based on this, Ruan said China has basically promised the US not to use force to unilaterally change the cross-strait status quo.
"This is seen as a clear concession on the part of China toward the US," Ruan said.
Ruan praised Chen's constitutional reform project as a brilliant scheme which wisely avoids any reference to Taiwan independence, which Ruan said is seen as a "red cloth" in a bullfight.
"Taiwan is an independent sovereign country and this is a fact. There is no need to drill on this question over and over again. Taiwan could do a lot without stepping on China's red line of Taiwan independence," Ruan said.
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