Yu Shyi-kun pooh-poohs idea of pan-blue Cabinet

Former Presidential Office secretary-general Yu Shyi-kun yesterday spoke out against the idea of the pan-blue camp forming a new Cabinet, saying that it would prevent the government from achieving anything due to irreconcilable differences on policy.

"An opposition premier would leave the engine of the nation running, but lead it nowhere," Yu said.

In response to the rumor that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) plans to invite the opposition party to organize a new Cabinet, Yu, who resigned on Friday to run in the DPP chairmanship election, said he never heard of such an idea when he was in the Presidential Office.

Yu Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for "manipulating" the media to create the impression that Chen will name Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) as premier.

Yu the KMT should first reform itself and make clear how it will deal with the special arms procurement bill and stolen party assets -- otherwise it would not be legitimate for it to form a Cabinet.

Meanwhile, DPP Legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮), who is also running for the DPP chairmanship, said Ma is "utterly distant from the qualities that a premier should have -- integrity and a strong Taiwan identity."