Pan-blues selecting their shooting investigators

The opposition is planning to designate former Judicial Yuan president Shih Chi-yang (施啟揚) to chair their "truth investigation commission" for the March 19 shooting of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), reliable sources said yesterday.

The opposition "pan-blue alliance" of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) , which holds a small majority in the Legislative Yuan, pushed through a special statute last week to make possible the commission's formation.

According to the law, the commission will be made up of 17 professionals recommended by various political parties, including five by the KMT and four by the PFP.

A chairman will be elected from among the commission members.

The sources said the KMT has already decided on its choices, including Shih, former State Public Prosecutor-General Chen Han (陳涵), lawyer Wang Ching-feng (王清峰), coroner Yang Jih-sung (楊日松) and the another identified only by his surname, Huang.

The KMT believes Shih's credentials and professional background will make him the best candidate for the chairmanship and is confident he will win the PFP's endorsement, the sources said.

The Executive Yuan is expected to request the legislature to reconsider the bill, calling the commission unconstitutional. But it is uncertain as to whether the bill will be overruled in view of the dominance enjoyed by the opposition.