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DPP will back Cabinet, Yu says

Premier Su Tseng-chang, left, former premier Frank Hsieh, center, and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Yu Shyi-kun smile as they leave the DPP's weekly central standing committee meeting yesterday. PHOTO: LIU HSIN-DE, TAIPEI TIMES

With Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) having become the veritable head of the administration following President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) power transfer on Wednesday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Yu Shyi-kun yesterday said the party fully supports the Cabinet and its policies.

Yu made the remarks after the DPP's weekly central standing committee meeting yesterday.

On Wednesday night, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) announced he would delegate executive power and would no longer exercise any powers beyond those the Constitution expressly defines as being the role of the president.

He also said that he would keep out of the DPP's affairs and would not take part in electioneering.

Chen's announcement rocked the DPP, and reporters asked each committee member their opinion of Chen's decision before they entered or left the meeting room yesterday.

Prior to attending the DPP meeting, Su had a half-hour private discussion with Yu.

In response to Yu's expression of support, Su said the most urgent priority for the DPP and the government was to unite and to reclaim the party's founding spirit.

"I urge all DPP members to work together at this most difficult moment for the party and stop criticizing ourselves," Su said.

Former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday said he thought Chen's announcement was in response to people's expectations and had nothing to do with the 2008 presidential election.

"The public is not supposed to focus on the release of power, I think self-purification and renewal are important too," Hsieh said.

Hsieh also said it was good that the premier would be given more authority to implement policies and make people's lives better.

"Letting things return to the constitutional system is a good thing. I hope Taiwanese society can gradually get back on a normal track," he added.

As for his absence from a meeting with Chen on Wednesday at the Presidential Office, Hsieh asked the media not to exaggerate the incident, saying that it had not been very convenient for him to arrange a car during the Dragon Boat festival.
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