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DPP whip criticized over unification council claim

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday lashed out at Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) for saying that KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) may have promised the Chinese president to have the National Unification Council reinstated in return for clinching a deal on bringing Chinese tourists to Taiwan.

The council, established in 1990 by the KMT government to promote unification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, was considered largely symbolic and had been dormant since 2000 when former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of the DPP took office.

In February 2006, Chen signed documents canceling the functions of the council and the application of the National Unification Guidelines. He defended his decision by citing Beijing’s military threat and its pledge to use non-peaceful means if necessary to prevent Taiwan from declaring formal independence.

The Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) on Sunday reported that the Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) administration was considering restoring the council to help facilitate cross-strait exchanges.

Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) dismissed the report as a “rumor” and added that the Ma administration had no plan to reinstate the council.

“President Ma has made it clear that ‘no unification, no independence and no use of force’ is the present guideline for the mainland policy,” Wang said.

At the legislature’s state affairs forum yesterday morning, Lai said that the reinstatement of the council might have been the result of a deal Wu made with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) in Beijing on May 28 in exchange for allowing more Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan.

Lai did not present evidence to back his claim.

KMT caucus whip Lin Yi-shih (林益世) condemned Lai in response.

“Such an insinuation is unethical,” he said, dismissing it as an attempt to “discredit Chairman Wu’s efforts in promoting cross-strait relations.”

“President Ma gave the assurance again and again during his meeting with KMT legislators that this allegation is untrue,” Lin said.

KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) accused the DPP caucus of trying to sabotage the improvement of cross-strait relations.

“Ma’s cross-strait policies — no unification, no independence and no use of force — have been stated very clearly,” he said.
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