President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen had no alternative but to accept Su's decision to resign. But in the wake of Su's departure, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) needs to rearrange its structure and smooth out the wrinkles left behind by a hotly contested presidential primary. Chang, who was not involved in the primary and who is known for being amiable, steady and willing to compromise, should be able to put Chen, Hsieh and Su at ease.
Having a well-liked intermediary like Chang at the Cabinet's helm will help bridge the rifts that developed between the Presidential Office, Cabinet and the party during the primary. It will also help the party gather strength for the crucial upcoming elections. Moreover, now that Su is free of his duties as premier, there are no obstacles to his joining a much-touted joint ticket with Frank Hsieh (
With just a year of Chen's term remaining and the legislative and presidential elections looming, the appointment of an experienced premier like Chang could save precious time and let the party start preparing for the campaigns right away.
Chang's biggest challenge remains the fierce rivalry between the ruling and opposition parties in the legislature. He has a thorough understanding of the difficulty of running an organ beset by gridlock over numerous issues. As a DPP legislator, he is also in touch with current issues. His familiarity and personal connections give him more options when it comes to handling the biggest problems -- namely the central government's stalled annual budget, as well as the budgets for the arms procurement package and state-run enterprises.
However, his decision during his previous term as premier to halt construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant caused tension and created much hostility toward him in the legislature. There is already talk among People First Party (PFP) lawmakers of toppling Chang's new Cabinet even before he has taken up his post. The legislature remains a daunting political obstacle.
When Chen announced Chang's appointment, he specifically said that issues such as the Olympic torch controversy, the opening of direct cross-strait charter and cargo flights and the relaxation of restrictions on Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan would be handled by the Cabinet.
As chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation, Chang has first-hand experience and a thorough understanding of cross-strait affairs. This background should give him an advantage in handling the torch controversy and finding a solution to the Chinese tourism debate.
Although Chang is no stranger to the Cabinet's political affairs, relations between the ruling and opposition parties have greatly deteriorated over the past six years. With the PFP talking about bringing down the new premier, the atmosphere within the DPP is tense and the challenges and difficulties facing Chang are more serious and complex than they were during his previous term. And there is little time to address them.
The old premier is back to face new problems, and will have to employ all his skills to navigate the government along a successful course.
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