Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday told lawmakers that he thought that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) made the right decision in "ceasing" the activity of the National Unification Council (NUC) and unification guidelines.
"[The decision] was correct because it returned the right to decide the nation's future back to its 23 million people," Su said while giving a special briefing to the legislature on the NUC issue.
Su had a cautious attitude when questioned, avoiding any discussion of the decision-making process and the communication process with the US.
PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
The premier told Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Su Chi (
In response to People First Party (PFP) Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (
KMT Legislator Pan Wei-kang (潘維剛) asked the premier why the US State Department issued a statement recently in which it asked the Taiwanese government to public state that Chen's Feb. 27 announcement did not abolish the council and guidelines.
In response, the premier asked Minister of Foreign Affairs James Huang (
The premier's answers prompted opposition lawmakers to cast doubt on whether he really has the power a premier must have in order to decide the government's policies.
"As a premier, you are the head of the nation's executive [branch], and so you shouldn't say that issues relating to diplomacy or cross-strait relations are not your business," Su said.
KMT Legislator Kuo Su-chun (
But the premier responded that ceasing the activity of the NUC was supported by the people.
"Many surveys show that more than 80 percent of the people support the position that the nation's future can only be decided by its 23 million people," he said.
"In the international community, [many countries] are praising our determination to maintain the cross-strait status quo," the premier said.
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