A drive to launch a no-confidence vote against Premier Su Tseng-chang (
"I agreed with the Chinese Nationalist Party's [KMT] stance that we should focus now on pushing the second recall motion [against President Chen Shui-bian (
He said the motion to topple the Cabinet would be sent to the legislature for review after the recall vote.
The legislative agenda has the recall motion scheduled to be put to a vote on Oct. 13.
The no-confidence motion drafted by Chu has been signed by 75 lawmakers from the KMT, People First Party (PFP) and independent camps. They said the motion was warranted because Su has failed to make good on his promise that public safety would be improved within six months.
While the pan-blue alliance holds a legislative majority and thus could pass the no-confidence vote, Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers doubt their opposition colleagues would really go through with a move that could lead to the legislature being dissolved and new elections called.
"The DPP will suggest the president dismiss the legislature should the motion to topple the Cabinet pass," DPP caucus whip Chen Chin-jun (
He criticized Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) for saying that the president would not dismiss the legislature, saying that Lu should "watch her tongue" at a time when the party's morale is low.
"Don't we have enough trouble? The pan-blue camp hasn't brought up the motion of a no-confidence vote. Saying President Chen would not dismiss the legislature only serves to create an image if a party locked in an internal struggle," the DPP whip said.
The vice president seemed to suggest that the president is not worried about the possibility that Su could be forced to step down.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Office said yesterday that the president is not committed to a specific course of action if lawmakers vote to bring down the government.
"As to how the political climate would develop or how the president would respond, we'd like to point out any comment or proposal made by anybody is not the president's original intention," the Presidential Office said in a statement issued yesterday afternoon.
When asked what the president's original intention was, Presidential Office spokesman David Lee (李南陽) said the president will not act without regard to other people's opinions.
"He will consult with the legislature, the DPP legislative caucus, the Executive Yuan and political parties when he is making the decision," Lee said.
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