Wed, Sep 29, 2004 page3

• Pan-blues divided again, this time on presidential speech

  • By Debby Wu / STAFF REPORTER
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  The pan-blue caucuses are divided again on a major issue: whether to allow President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to proceed with the first-ever state-of-the-nation address in the Legislative Yuan.

  While the People First Party (PFP) has shown enthusiasm about the issue for the past two days, climaxing with party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) declaring his intention to become a legislator-at-large and hold a debate with Chen on major political issues, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has remained cool about the speech and said a state-of-the-nation address should not be held before the legislative elections.

  "The KMT caucus basically welcomes the president to deliver a state-of-the-nation address in the Legislative Yuan, but the address has to be constitutional and legal, and it has to take place after the legislative elections," KMT caucus whip Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) said yesterday.

  "The Constitution stipulates that the Legislative Yuan can invite the president to make a state-of-the-nation address every year, and that means the right and the decision to initiate such a report lies with the Legislative Yuan," he said.

  "So it may be unconstitutional for President Chen to initiate such a request," he said.

  Tseng also said that the caucus would request a constitutional interpretation on Chen's request.

  "The existing laws do not stipulate how the president should proceed with the address or how the president should interact with lawmakers, and we should amend the laws to regulate how these things should proceed," Tseng said.

  Tseng said that before the Legislative Yuan goes into recess at the beginning of November, the lawmakers have to question the premier and review the annual budget, and there was no time left for the president.

  "So if the president wants to give his address, he has to wait until after the election," Tseng said.

  Even Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), despite being scheduled to host an inter-party negotiation between the caucuses tomorrow to discuss the issue, rejected Presidential Office Secretary-General Su Tseng-chang's (蘇貞昌) request two days ago to meet and discuss the technical aspects of the address.

  "It is unknown whether the Legislative Yuan will accept the president's request, and Su doesn't have to come now to talk about this. We can discuss the issue only after the Legislative Yuan invites the president to deliver the address," he said.

  Contrary to the KMT's cool attitude, the PFP has even decided to have an incumbent legislator-at-large, Legislator Lee Tung-hao (李桐豪), resign so that Soong can take his seat.

  Soong said earlier this month that he was willing to become a legislator-at-large in order to debate with Chen on policies.

  But the prerequisite for Soong's appearance in the Legislative Yuan would be that Chen must interact and be questioned by lawmakers after the address, the PFP said.

  Although PFP shared a similar attitude with the KMT on the constitutionality and legality of the issue, PFP caucus whip Liu Weng-hsiung (劉文雄) said the address should take place as soon as possible.

  The Democratic Progressive Party caucus, meanwhile, defended the validity of the president's request.

  "According to the Constitution, President Chen can take the initiative to request a state-of-the-nation address. Even if the pan-blue camp requests a constitutional interpretation of the request, it won't affect the delivery of the address," DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said.

  "How the address should proceed can be decided simply by inter-party negotiations, and there is no need for an amendment to the laws," he said.

  The DPP caucus also said that for the president to deliver the address, the Legislative Yuan only needs to arrange an extra sitting on one day, which won't affect the question-and-answer session with the premier and the review of the annual budget.
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