Aides ready to tackle transfer of power

Top aides to newly elected President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said they were ecstatic over the victory but introspective at the same time as much was left to be done to successfully shift power to the DPP.

"I not only feel happy but sober because now is the real beginning of political democracy," said Lin Chia-cheng (林嘉誠), an advisor to Chen's National Policy Committee

"From March 18 onward the DPP needs to work together closely with the KMT to implement smoothly the handover of power to the DPP," Lin said.

While recently-resigned Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲) was unable to attend the victory rally, his comments were read by the DPP after Chen's victory speech by campaign manager Chiu I-jen (邱義仁).

Lee said Chen has already said that he will be the people's president and not the party's president.

"I respect his broad-mindedness," Lee said. "I hope Chen can carry out all of the things he spoke of in his platform during the coming four years."

Lee acknowledged that ending the KMT's nearly 55-year rule would be an awesome task. He also praised the KMT for forwarding democratic reforms, especially the contributions made by President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝).

"The passion of the campaign has now passed and now it's our duty and the new president's responsibility to build a new government. Let's take up this task and cooperate with the new president," Lee said.

While it is widely expected that Lee will become the next premier, Chen would only say yesterday that the option had not been ruled out.

Lee will head Chen's National Policy Advisory Committee which will help smooth the transition of power.

Chen said many voices from the grassroots level and within the DPP have urged him to invite Lee to organize his new Cabinet.

"I have not changed my hope that Lee and the honest leadership he represents will agree to lead the Cabinet," Chen said in a press conference after his victory speech.

Aides close to Chen said the new president would also attempt to establish a hotline to President Lee Teng-hui to discuss how to handle the handover of power and other important national affairs.

The aides mentioned the example of US President Bill Clinton, who was briefed by the CIA and Department of Defense immediately after winning the 1992 election, but before he was sworn in as president.

Sources close to Chen said that he would maintain a close relationship with Lee after he is inaugurated, and hoped to draw on his experiences dealing with cross-strait issues and military affairs.

During his campaign, Chen publicly announced his plan to draft Lee as an "envoy of peace" similar to the role ex-US president Jimmy Carter has played for later administrations.

Che also promised in his campaign that he would retain five important military and police officials, including Minister of National Minster Tang Fei (唐飛), Chief of the General Staff Tang Yao-ming (湯曜明), Director of the National Security Bureau General Ting Yu-chou (丁渝洲), Investigation Bureau Director Wang Kuang-yu (王光宇), and Ting Yuan-chin (丁原進), Director-general of the National Police Administration.

Meanwhile, women's groups expressed the hope that the newly elected president would demonstrate his sincerity by recruiting more women into the ranks of government. They said that would like to see as much as a fourth of the new Cabinet made up of female members.