PFP shifts focus to toppling the Cabinet

People First Party Chairman James Soong, center, tells supporters at a rally outside the legislature yesterday that the party has completed a signature drive to topple the Cabinet. PHOTO: LIU HSIN-DE, TAIPEI TIMES

Although the proposal to recall the president failed to pass, People First Party (PFP) legislators yesterday immediately drafted a motion to topple the Cabinet, with party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) saying they would push for a another recall motion after a new legislature is convened.

"As long as the Cabinet dissolution plan doesn't fail, it is certain that [a second] motion to recall the president will succeed," Soong told people before ending a sit-in outside the legislature.

Soong announced the PFP's three-stage plan: asking President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to resign by filing a no-confidence motion in the legislature, asking the president to dismiss the legislature and then proposing another recall motion against Chen.

"Recalling the president will be the sole issue the PFP will campaign on [during the next legislative election]," Soong said.

Soong termed the "three-stage plan" a "bloodless revolution," saying that "I would like to shed my blood for Taiwan if the bloodless revolution fails."

"The failure of the recall motion didn't meet the public's expectation for punishing the corrupt government. We need to convene a new legislature that reflects the most current public opinion," he said.

In accordance with the Constitution, one-third of legislators may initiate a no-confidence vote against the premier.

If approved by a simple majority, the premier must resign from office within 10 days and at the same time may request that the president dissolve the legislature.

PFP caucus whip Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) said all 23 PFP legislators -- including Chen Chao-rung (陳朝容) and Shen Chih-hwei (沈智慧) who just left the party -- had already signed the no-confidence motion.

"We will seek [support from] other party's legislators to make it an official motion," Lee said.

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday said pan-blue legislators were divided over pursuing a no-confidence motion.

"If such a motion is proposed, we will need a second special legislative session to review it as the current special legislative session will end on Friday," he said.

Meanwhile, KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said his party had not ruled out proposing the resignation of the Cabinet, adding that any strategies must be carefully reviewed before being put into practice.

Despite his PFP counterpart's determination to topple the Cabinet, Ma adopted a more moderate tone.

Saying that the KMT would not rule out proposing any of the measures under consideration, Ma said the party needed to "plan before making any moves."

"The KMT must reach a consensus first before seeking agreement with the PFP and independent legislators," Ma said during a press conference at party headquarters.

Ma said the party had set up a team to study a no-confidence vote.

Instead of immediately pushing for a no-confidence vote, Ma said the KMT would continue its nationwide signature drive, which he claimed had attracted more than 1.7 million people to urge Chen to step down.

The KMT would not hold any street protests for the time being, Ma added.

Ma also encouraged prosecutors to continue their investigation into the scandals involving Chen's son-in-law and the first lady.

In addition, the KMT chairman repeated his call for Chen to offer his resignation.

"Please do Taiwan a favor: Know the right thing to do and stop being a liability to the DPP," Ma said.