People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (
Soong, however, said no conclusion had been reached in Friday's meeting and that he will meet with Lien again this week for more discussions on the issue.
Soong said the next speaker must be familiar with legislative operations and be able to host meetings impartially.
The PFP has not yet decided whether any of its legislators will seek one of the positions, Soong said.
Lien had sought the PFP's support for the re-election bid of speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), who is also the KMT's vice chairman, during a Dec. 6 meeting with Soong.
According to KMT Secretary-General Lin Fong-cheng (
While reaffirming his support for Wang yesterday, Lien was reserved on the issue of the vice speakership.
Lien said the vice-speakership race is in a "very subtle" state, and that the KMT will support a candidate who is "acceptable to the public."
"As a political party, the KMT of course has its own favored candidate, but we must also face up to political reality," Lien said.
Lien said the party's recommendation for Wang is based on a "friendly and positive" intention of making Wang a neutral speaker helpful to the legislature's stability.
Wang's credentials as a nine-term legislator who is familiar with the operations of the legislature deserves the support of all parties, Lien said.
"It isn't a matter of partisan or personal interests. There will be no stability in the country unless there is stability in the legislature," Lien said.
Though Wang's speaker candidacy is acceptable to parties including the DPP and Taiwan Solidarity Union, the KMT leadership's preference of cooperating with the PFP may prompt the "pan-green" parties to drop their support for Wang and have a different candidate vie for the speakership.
In addition, pro-localization lawmakers within the KMT, especially those from the legislative subgroup Generation-E Alliance, are strongly against the party's plan to cooperate with the PFP and have vowed not to vote for a PFP candidate for vice speaker.
Legislator Chen Hung-chang (陳宏昌), a member of the alliance, yesterday announced that he will run for vice speaker against the PFP's candidate if the KMT reaches a deal with the PFP.
Chen said he has secured at least 15 votes and will continue to seek his colleagues' support for his bid.
Chen said it is incomprehensible as to why the KMT would opt to cooperate with the PFP -- the third largest party in the next legislature, instead of the largest party, the DPP.
Meanwhile, Wang said yesterday that he has not been told anything about his deputy.
Wang maintained he has not thought about partnering with a vice speaker candidate, as the speakership race is always separate from the vice speakership race.
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