Wed, Oct 10, 2001 page3

• Opposition leaders absent from top-security briefing

  DISUNITY President Chen expressed his regret that KMT, PFP and New Party leaders could not find the time to participate in a top-level briefing on the Sept. 11 crisis

  • By Monique Chu and Joyce Huang / STAFF REPORTERS
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  An opportunity to foster a spirit of political bipartisanship in Taiwan was squandered yesterday. The leaders of the nation's three opposition parties failed to attend a scheduled National Security Coun-cil briefing, hosted by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), on the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the US.

  Their absence comes at a time when Taiwan needs bipartisanship to weather the international crisis. Chen lamented the absence of the opposition leaders.

  During the briefing, Chen said the meeting would serve as a first step to the establishment of an institution where the government would invite leaders from across party lines to discuss issues of vital national interest.

  Chen had invited Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), speaker of the Legislative Yuan, and the three party leaders, to hear the briefing. But KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰), People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), and New Party convener Hsieh Chi-ta (謝啟大) didn't attend.

  Wang did attend, as did DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and National Non-Party League convener Tsai Hau (蔡豪).

  At the end of the meeting, Chen expressed his respect and gratitude to those who attended. He lauded them for their "sense of responsibility and breadth of mind," while also voicing his "regret" about those who failed to attend.

  Chen also said that it would "take twice the effort to get half the result" in implementing contingency plans that did not have the full understanding and support of the speaker of the legislature and the leaders of the political parties.

  DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said that the president had shown great sincerity by inviting party leaders to attend yesterday's National Security Council briefing. But he went on to express his own regret at the absence of Lien and Soong, saying, "The outcome shows an obvious lack of mutual trust [between the government and opposition party leaders]."

  Hsieh was asked whether the Presidential Office had denied access to the meeting to Chiang Chung-ling (蔣仲苓), whom Lien had designated to represent him.

  "Even I was told not to assign a deputy to attend due to the meeting's confidential nature," was Hsieh's reply.

  Hsieh added that all invitees had been given short notice of the meeting at around 5pm on Monday afternoon, adding that he understood why Lien and Soong failed to squeeze time out of their busy schedules.

  Soong said he did not attend as he was unwell yesterday morning. He said he had consulted the Presidential Office in advance as to whether he could dispatch his vice chairman to attend on his behalf, but the Presidential Office declined to permit him to do so.

  The KMT said it was difficult to adjust Lien's schedule at such short notice to make his attendance possible and that the party therefore chose to be absent from the briefing after the Presidential Office declined its offer to send a KMT vice chairman to attend on Lien's behalf.

  Meanwhile, Wang Jin-pyng suggested that the legislature should set up a panel on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which would receive regular briefings on the issue from the Executive Yuan, a motion immediately approved by the president.
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