Two days after President-elect Chen Shui-bian (
The KMT held three meetings on the issue yesterday, without producing a clear result. The political hot potato was then passed back to acting chairman Lien Chan (
It would appear, however, that the call for "party-to-party negotiations" on the selection of premier has grown muted.
Tang himself, meanwhile, repeated yesterday that he would only follow his party's instructions -- a statement interpreted by some legislators as "passing the buck" over responsibility for the decision to the KMT's senior leadership.
The KMT had intended to decide on its official stance at an extraordinary central standing committee meeting scheduled yesterday morning. The plan, however, was changed at a forum earlier yesterday morning attended by Lien, which included senior party officials and representatives of its legislative caucus.
During the forum, caucus representatives apparently initiated a signature drive asking KMT legislators to support the "party-to-party negotiations" proposal. It had been hoped that more than half would sign, as a demonstration of solidarity. However, so such consensus was forthcoming as bitter disagreements ensued.
Many legislators present were also opposed to the idea that the central standing committee should make the final decision. Instead, they demanded that lawmakers have the final say, and that Tang should communicate with legislators face-to-face.
In the end, their proposal was accepted by Lien.
In response, Tang met with some 50 legislators yesterday afternoon at KMT headquarters.
A variety of different opinions were aired, with some upholding the "party-to-party" stance and others arguing that Tang should accept the premiership as an individual while having his party membership temporarily suspended.
Most legislators showed strong concern over just how much real power Tang would enjoy if he became premier.
"Has he [Chen] promised you the power to appoint your ministers and to decide policies? Would you be a mere puppet to Chen?" asked KMT lawmaker Chen Ching-pao (
The incumbent defense minister stressed his devotion to the ideal of an administration which operated according to the rule of law.
He said policy initiatives emerge from Cabinet meetings, not only from the premier, and that policies can only be carried out when the relevant laws are passed by the legislature.
Several legislators asked Tang to make his decision on his own, and leave the party out of it. "We're prepared to be the opposition party, but now if you become premier as a KMT member, what stance should we take?" one legislator asked.
Other lawmakers agreed, saying the KMT should focus itself on being a real opposition party after its humiliating defeat, and not to seek a power-sharing agreement. "Otherwise, people might look down on us, and we would lose again," said Chen Chieh-ju (
As many expected, however, no consensus was ultimately reached.
"The purpose of this meeting was to open the communication lines between between Tang and our legislators. The opinions of the lawmakers will be passed to Lien to deal with," said Tseng Yung-chuan (
That does not, however, mean Lien will make the final decision himself, as several legislators were at pains to point out. "Lien will only `deal with it,'" one said.
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
WARNING: People in coastal areas need to beware of heavy swells and strong winds, and those in mountainous areas should brace for heavy rain, the CWA said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued sea and land warnings for Typhoon Ragasa, forecasting that it would continue to intensify and affect the nation the most today and tomorrow. People in Hualien and Taitung counties, and mountainous areas in Yilan and Pingtung counties, should brace for damage caused by extremely heavy rain brought by the typhoon’s outer rim, as it was upgraded to a super typhoon yesterday morning, the CWA said. As of 5:30pm yesterday, the storm’s center was about 630km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving northwest at 21kph, and its maximum wind speed had reached
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said that it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Ragasa this morning and a land warning at night as it approached Taiwan. Ragasa intensified from a tropical storm into a typhoon at 8am yesterday, the CWA said, adding that at 2pm, it was about 1,110km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip. The typhoon was moving northwest at 13kph, with sustained winds of up to 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA Web site showed. Forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said that Ragasa was projected to strengthen as it neared the Bashi Channel, with its 200km
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hualien and Taitung counties declared today a typhoon day, while schools and offices in parts of Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties are also to close Typhoon Ragasa was forecast to hit its peak strength and come closest to Taiwan from yesterday afternoon through today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Taiwan proper could be out of the typhoon’s radius by midday and the sea warning might be lifted tonight, it added. CWA senior weather specialist Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said that Ragasa’s radius had reached the Hengchun Peninsula by 11am yesterday and was expected to hit Taitung County and Kaohsiung by yesterday evening. Ragasa was forecast to move to Taiwan’s southern offshore areas last night and to its southwestern offshore areas early today, she added. As of 8pm last night,