Mon, Apr 03, 2000 page3

• KMT lawmakers likely to drift from weakened party

  • By Monique Chu / STAFF REPORTER
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  In the wake of both personal feuds by political leaders and the establishment of James Soong's (宋楚瑜) People First Party (PFP), a reshuffling in power appears to be taking shape at the Legislative Yuan, with insiders saying that the slim majority held by the KMT could easily evaporate.

  "The majority party is unstable; it's the sort of majority that can collapse at any time," said KMT legislator Liao Huw-peng (廖福本), who is also the deputy executive director of the KMT's policy coordination committee -- the body directly under the party's Central Standing Committee.

  "It's a false majority ... It's an unsubstantiated majority," Liao said.

  Following the establishment of the PFP last week, now temporarily chaired by Soong, reports claimed yesterday that former legislative speaker Liu Sung-pan (劉松藩), who had also been Soong's presidential campaign manager, has been busy lobbying KMT and DPP legislators to join the PFP in a bid to unseat incumbent speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) in the next round of internal elections in the legislature.

  Observers said Liu's move was fueled by a personal feud with Wang, after Wang had replaced Liu as the KMT's preferred candidate for the position of speaker.

  The conflict also prompted Liu to shift his support over to then-KMT maverick Soong -- once a powerful figure in the KMT -- in the presidential election.

  Liao confirmed the reports of Liu's attempt to grab back power.

  "He [Liu] has contacted me four or five times since the election to try to lure us to move over there," he said.

  Claiming the reshuffle could cause at least 10 KMT legislators to follow suit, Liao said it was better "to find another place where we can at least do something instead of staying in the KMT to witness the prospect for reform that appears to be small," after the KMT's defeat in the presidential election.

  Liao also said DPP legislators had also approached him over the prospect of a possible alliance or some other kind of cooperation.

  Lin Jung-rong (林建榮), the KMT's legislative caucus whip, urged his colleagues yesterday to think twice before crossing the floor to other parties.

  "I've heard of such moves. But those KMT lawmakers that were lobbied would and should thoroughly consider what they are doing before joining the other side," Lin said.

  When asked to comment on Liao's claim that the KMT enjoys an "unstable majority" in the legislature, Lin said it was only a "hypothesis."

  "If KMT legislators can stay within the KMT caucus and remain united we can keep the advantage of being the majority," he said. Lin said Wang had invited officials from several KMT factions for informal talks after the presidential election, "to strengthen internal contacts."

  But he denied Wang's move had been made to safeguard his current post in the face of strong lobbing efforts on the part of Liu.

  "This is not the case. It is not his intention to use these banquets to consolidate his position," he said.

  DPP legislators, however, took a wait-and-see stance towards the potential power reshuffle in the legislature, with some holding disparate views on which party could best serve the DPP's interests in any form of cross-party alliance.

  "[DPP legislator Shih Ming-te, 施明德] has been in contact with both sides [the KMT and PFP]," said Kuo Wen-bing (郭文彬), top aid to Shih. "And he has been exchanging ideas with them intensively."

  "The key thing is proximity in our ideas and concepts. An equally important factor is how many seats these parties [the KMT and the PFP] have at the Legislative Yuan," he said.

  At least 18 legislators are confirmed to have already joined the nascent PFP, but the exact number remains uncertain.

  The KMT currently hold 116 seats at the Legislative Yuan, followed by the 71 seats under the DPP caucus, and another 10 under the New Party's banner, said Kuo.
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