Sat, Jul 06, 2002 page3

• Chen describes why cross-party pact is necessary

  POLITICAL DISCORD The president said the alliance was not a trick to win over renegade lawmakers from the opposition, but would be a platform for dialogue

  • By Lin Chieh-yu and Chou Ching-wen / STAFF REPORTERS
  • • 
    • 
    • 

  Saying he wants to establish a "platform for cooperation and dialogue," President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said on Thursday that it was time to consider creating a "cross-party alliance for national stabilization" (國安聯盟) to avoid friction between the opposition and ruling parties.

  Chen said that though his will to create a multi-party coalition government remained unchanged, "practical problems" were hampering its implementation.

  This is one of the reasons for considering such an alliance, Chen said.

  

  President Chen Shui-bian watches as Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien, foreground, and Sao Tome and Principe's Foreign Minister Alda da Conceicao, center, sign a joint communique in Sao Tome on Thursday.

  PHOTO: CNA

  Chen made the remarks to journalists in Sao Tome and Principe, in which the issue of the alliance drew most media interest.

  Chen denied charges that the alliance was a ruse to win over renegade legislators from the opposition parties, saying that the purpose of the alliance was to create a stable political environment.

  He defined the alliance as "a platform for cooperation and rational dialogue between opposition and ruling parties."

  Chen said that, before leaving Taiwan, he had discussed the matter with former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝).

  "We agree on most aspects of the issue," Chen said.

  He said he had also discussed the issue with several people in Taiwan and hoped a conclusion would be reached by the time he returned from his Africa trip. He did not elaborate.

  Both Senegal and Sao Tome and Principe have dissolved their parliaments to create majority governments following fresh elections, Chen said.

  Regardless of the coalition model adopted, it has to be workable or there will be another six months of friction, he said.

  In response to a question about whether the Taiwanese legislature would be dissolved to create the possibility of forming a majority coalition government, Chen said while the presidents of Senegal and Sao Tome and Principe can take the initiative to dissolve their parliaments, this was not possible in Taiwan.

  Chen said he could not understand why opposition and ruling parties had to oppose each other. Over the past six months, he said, public, financial and economic issues that should have been open to rational dialogue had become opportunities to oppose the government.

  He gave as an example the Examination Yuan nominations, saying that there was opportunity to disagree and vote against nominees during the review process.

  "But does democracy mean turning the issue into a standoff between opposition and ruling parties, blocking people from casting their votes?" Chen asked.

  Chen said that after last year's legislative elections, he had hoped that the Cabinet and the legislature would be able to cooperate.

  He had therefore supported Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) to continue as legislative speaker, with a vice speaker picked from the DPP. He had also asked the KMT's Chiang Ping-kun (江丙坤) to become vice premier and chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development.

  According to Chen, Chiang was eager to accept the posts, and Wang called him to say there would be no problems.

  But before the government announced the appointments, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) called Chiang to his office to tell him he had agreed with PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) that the KMT and the PFP should move together. Chiang went on to run for and win the vice speakership and the political situation became extremely complicated, the president said.
• Most Popular

  • 1

    Napoli’s title hopes shaken by late Genoa equalizer

  • 2

    Privately owned city in Kenya taking on corrupt officials

  • 3

    MOE to encourage foreigners to work in Taiwan

  • 4

    Kane tastes first title as Bayern bid farewell to Mueller

  • 5

    Former president Tsai departs for Lithuania