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Forum reveals tensions in KMT

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu, right, and President Ma Ying-jeou hug after a meeting between the Cabinet and KMT legislators at KMT headquarters in Taipei yesterday. PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators yesterday urged President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) to make the government more efficient, build up the public’s confidence in the nation and to strengthen their relations with party members.

While approving the Cabinet’s efforts to improve the economy during a forum on legislative and administrative affairs held by the KMT, the legislators urged the government to step up measures to end the stock market slump and to revive the public’s confidence.

The first forum held since the KMT regained power in May brought together Ma, Liu, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), top Cabinet officials and party legislators.

Addressing the forum, Ma acknowledged the nation was being affected by the global financial crisis, but restated his confidence that his administration could lead the country out of the economic slowdown step by step.

“We’ve spared no efforts to use every resource and strategy we can, but I need to acknowledge that it’s impossible for the nation not to be affected by the global economic crisis,” Ma said at KMT headquarters. “Taiwan has survived two oil crises and the Asian financial crisis in the past and we will survive this crisis too.”

KMT Legislator Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) urged Ma, Liu and Cabinet officials to soften their stance on certain issues and to bring the government closer to the public.

“Some Cabinet members give the impression they are hard-faced and the public do not feel that you are on their side,” Kuo said.

KMT Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) joined Kuo in calling on government officials to be more humble and to respond more quickly to the nation’s needs.

In response to KMT legislators’ calls for the prosecutors to speed up the investigation into former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and his family members’ alleged money laundering case, Ma called on party members to respect the prosecutors and promised that his administration would not interfere in the investigation.

“Some people say we are being too gentlemanly. But isn’t that what the people want from the new government? Shouldn’t we give the prosecutors room to investigate the cases independently?” he said.

The apparent tense relations between the KMT legislative caucus and the Cabinet also emerged as a pressing issue at the forum, with party members and the Cabinet attempting to establish a more harmonious and cooperative relationship.

KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) defended the Cabinet’s efforts to improve the economy amid the global economic slowdown and urged party legislators to cooperate with the Cabinet to present a united front.

“It is the responsibility of legislators to oversee the government’s performance. However, as KMT legislators, you too are members of the ruling party and need to shoulder some of the responsibility if the Cabinet is blamed for poor performance,” Wu said.

Wu reiterated that the party would spare no effort in assisting Ma’s administration, but would not meddle in the government’s policies.

“We fully understand the public’s expectations and we know that the people will not allow the party [KMT] to lead the administration,” he said.

Wang, on the other hand, called on the Cabinet to seek the opinions of the party’s legislators more often and to communicate better with them. Wang also promised his full backing for the 65 bills to be debated in the legislature, next year’s fiscal budget as proposed by the Executive Yuan and Ma’s nominations for Control Yuan and Examination Yuan members.
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