Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
"I have never said that I want to act as the president's envoy in cross-party negotiations," Wang said.
"However, if the country needs me and the president authorizes me to do the job, I will be happy to serve at the pleasure of the president and don't think such an arrangement requires party-to-party talks because it is a national affair," he said.
Wang made the remarks in response to remarks by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
Ma said that he would be happy to see Wang represent the nation in negotiations with China if President Chen Shui-bian (
Wang said that he is willing to represent the government in discussing direct transportation links with China, but it is up to the president to decide who to appoint because the president is the nation's top administrator setting cross-strait policies.
Meanwhile, commenting on People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong's (
Wang said Soong is perfect for the job.
Soong said on Sunday that he is confident he would make a good mayor and that none of the other pan-blue members who have expressed an interest in running can beat him in terms of educational background, working experience and vision for the city.
As the KMT is to tighten its primary election regulations, Wang urged anyone wishing to run in the mayoral or city councilor elections as a KMT candidate to join the party in order to be qualified for the KMT primaries.
Under the plan, the party will require people to hold KMT membership for at least four months before they can run in any public posts as a KMT candidate.
The new regulations were seen as an effort to avoid the possibility of Soong entering the Taipei mayoral race as a KMT member by returning to the party to win the primaries.
PFP Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (
"They should have at least the courtesy to talk with us if they want to merge," Liu said.
"Ma seems a gentle and polite man but he conceals a dagger behind his shining smile and is very good at playing innocent when things go wrong," the PFP lawmaker said.
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
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A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all