Sat, Feb 26, 2005 page3

• Advisors threaten to quit over consensus

  PROTEST Koo Kwang-ming and other senior presidential advisors say the Chen-Soong agreement was ill-conceived and badly handled. They say Soong cannot be trusted

  • By Melody Chen / STAFF REPORTER
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  President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong's (宋楚瑜) 10-point consensus has angered many pro-independence presidential and national policy advisors, and senior presidential advisor Koo Kwang-ming (辜寬敏) is considering resigning to protest Chen's compromise.

  "I would resign to warn the president. Chen made a grave mistake by giving the pledges and signing an agreement with Soong. How can Chen, as head of state, sign such an agreement with a political party?" Koo said yesterday.

  

  Senior Presidential Adviser Koo Kwang-ming gestures during an interview with the Taipei Times yesterday.

  PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

  "Hasn't anyone in the Presidential Office noticed how improper it is for Chen to sign such a consensus with Soong? The president reiterated the `four noes,' as if underwriting Soong's aspiration to be the mediator between Taiwan and China," Koo said in an interview with the Taipei Times.

  The 10-point consensus could have severe consequences for the country and its people, Koo warned, adding that the influence of the pact exceeds any agreements signed between individuals or party leaders.

  He is unhappy with Chen's pledge not to declare independence, change the nation's name, push for the inclusion of the "state-to-state" model of cross-strait relations in the Constitution or to promote a referendum to change the status quo.

  Soong wanted to meet with Chen to further his ambition to represent Taiwan in talks with China, Koo said. "Soong strongly desires the role and Chen said that he agreed with Soong on the `four noes.'"

  Koo said the president was wrong to think Beijing would find it easier to accept Soong -- who is known for his pro-China and pro-unification stance -- as Chen's envoy.

  "Soong's personality and political performance are problematic. Would China be willing to talk to him?" Koo said.

  Soong has shown friendliness toward China, but his motive for wanting to be an envoy to China is hard to fathom, Koo said.

  Chen should pick an envoy who could faithfully defend Taiwan's sovereignty so that the interests of the Taiwanese people would not be compromised, he said.

  After Thursday's meeting with Chen, Soong said that he is the most qualified person in Taiwan to deal with cross-strait affairs.

  "Soong is unreliable. Would the Taiwanese people accept agreements he reached with Beijing? If the people cannot accept such agreements, Chen's dignity and credit would be hurt," Koo said.

  Although the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) does not have a legislative majority and opposition parties often block the government's policies, Koo said the administration still can achieve a lot without having to cooperate with its opponents.

  "Taiwan's economic growth rate reached 5.9 percent last year. The legislature first cut the government's budgets but then passed them after all. The belief that the DPP government can't achieve anything without cooperating with the opposition is illogical," he said.

  National policy advisor Wu Shuh-min (吳樹民), president of the Northern Taiwan Society, shared Koo's skepticism about Soong's qualifications to be an envoy.

  "Taiwan's envoy to China would shoulder great responsibility. Chen should appoint somebody the people can trust to do the job. Soong is a controversial figure because of his personality problems," Wu said.

  He also said Chen had gone too far in making the pledges regarding Taiwan's national status.

  "What if the people want him to do things that he promised not to do in his consensus with Soong?" Wu said.

  "We are considering whether it would be good for the country if we [senior presidential and national policy advisors] resign en masse. If the move would help the country, we would not hesitate to do step down. If not, we need to think about what else we can do," Wu said.

  The advisors can only prove how unhappy they are about the consensus if they all resign, said national policy advisor Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒).
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