Sat, Jul 06, 2002 page8

• Editorial: Ignore the whiners

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  Opposition parties see President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) as a Janus -- the two-faced Roman god. Clasping an olive branch in his one hand, he loudly calls for inter-party reconciliation, yet with a sword in his other hand he appeals for a national stability alliance to be formed that could defeat the "pan blue" camp. The opposition parties say they don't know which Chen they should trust. The question, however, is why would anyone care what they think?

  Conflict, compromise and progress have been the consistent hallmarks of Chen's career and he has shown that he will do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals. As an attorney for dissidents under the KMT's authoritarian regime, Chen stood up to the government. He embodies the characteristics that make a good lawyer -- someone who treats a client's interests as their own and responds to demands with a flexible attitude and strategy. But Chen is nothing like his predecessor Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), who followed his own path and persevered despite all roadblocks along the way.

  Chen had hoped to serve as a president who could transcend party lines. But from the very beginning of his administration, the opposition has been determined to boycott his government's every move. His first attempt to heal political divisions -- a meeting with KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) -- was torpedoed by the Executive Yuan's announcement that it was halting construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.

  PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) thought he could swing both ways -- siding sometimes with the KMT and sometimes with the DPP. But that ambition proved fruitless, even before a secret meeting between Chen and Soong in the run-up to last December's legislative elections was exposed. Even though Soong's glory days as the last provincial governor are long gone, he's still intoxicated by the 4.6 million votes he garnered in the 2000 presidential election and continues to dream of the presidency.

  Chen's revival of the idea of holding a summit of party leaders is unrealistic. Since Chen, Lien and Soong may be rivals in the next presidential election -- even though the idea of Lien running is ludicrous to everyone but a small minority in the KMT -- any idea of inter-party cooperation is highly unlikely. Since neither the KMT or the PFP have anything to gain by attending such a summit, Chen's idea is dead in the water. But why is a summit even needed?

  The DPP proposed establishing a national stability alliance last year, before the legislative elections. But since the "pan blue" camp held a legislative majority, they ignored the proposal. Now Chen has resurrected the idea, given that the "pan green" camp is very close to forming a stable legislative majority. This was proven during recent votes on several presidential appointments, when the "pan green" camp mustered a block of 113 votes. With a little bit of work, the idea of a national stability alliance could become a reality.

  Taiwan's political arena has been chaotic for the past two years and this uncertainty has damaged efforts to revitalize the economy. The KMT had 50 years and still failed to endear itself to the people of Taiwan. The "pan blue" camp has hurt the country with its two years of childish behavior. So if the ruling party can organize a national stability alliance to facilitate smooth policy implementation with the aid of TSU members and some independents, it should do so. Some political stability would be a most welcome development.
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