Ma and Soong cool to Lu's summit proposal

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday said he would be happy to see a cross-party summit held to learn of pan-blue camp leaders' intentions.

"I would like to learn [what Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜)] think about the matter," Wang said, referring to a summit proposal made by Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) earlier the same day aimed at redressing the current political situation.

However, Ma and Soong later yesterday responded coolly to the summit proposal.

Saying that he had not received Lu's invitation relayed by Wang, Ma expressed reservations about the proposed summit and predicted that the atmosphere would not be good should the summit be held now.

KMT spokeswoman Cheng Li-wen (鄭麗文) said that Ma would participate in the summit and work out ways to stabilize the political situation with Lu should President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) resign and if Lu would agree to publicly call on Chen to step down.

Amid rising public sentiment against corruption, Lu should make clear whether or not she supports justice and fairness by standing with the people, Cheng said.

Wang yesterday said Lu had shared the idea with him on May 20.

He said he had asked Ma and Soong days after that.

"Soong at that time said that he would think about it, while Ma hasn't replied to me yet," Wang said.

"The political situation has changed a lot recently and each party has its own considerations. I haven't spoken with Ma and Soong about the matter since then," he said, referring to the string of allegations against the president.

PFP legislators however yesterday said at a press conference that Soong had never told Wang he would think about attending the summit.

PFP caucus whip Lu Hsueh-chang (呂學樟) said that Soong had not even the slightest interest in taking part in the summit proposed by the vice president.

According to the pan-blue alliance, Chen's resignation would be the best way to stabilize the political turmoil.

Lu Hsueh-chang suggested the vice president should instead hold a summit with party heavyweights such as Su, former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Yu Shyi-kun, who are regarded as rivals for the DPP's 2008 presidential election nominee.