The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said yesterday that while the party does not object to meeting with the leaders of the nation's political parties, it is not President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) place to suggest such a meeting.
"An invitation for a summit between the leaders of [the nation's] opposition and ruling parties should have been made by Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌). It is not appropriate for President Chen Shui-bian to meddle," KMT spokeswoman Cheng Li-wen (鄭麗文) said yesterday morning.
"The KMT does not rule out communicating with Su. However, if [he] is playing children's games like Chen and does not have any sincerity in inviting opposition parties to participate in a meeting, then the KMT will not bother going," Cheng said in response to comments by Mainland Affairs Council Chairman Joseph Wu (
While talking to the media on Wednesday afternoon, Wu said that the Presidential Office is working on arranging a summit between the leaders of the nation's ruling and opposition parties after the KMT's July 16 chairmanship election in order to consolidate their views on the cross-strait situation.
The possible timing and location of the proposed political summit has no connection to the party's chairmanship election, Cheng said.
Given that the KMT is united in its position on cross-strait relations, she added, the party's stance on the situation will not change, regardless of who is elected chairman.
If Su happens to have a different view of cross-strait relations to Chen, Cheng said, then the party is willing to work toward reconciliation, to form the basis of a summit between the leaders of the opposition and ruling camps.
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