The landslide victory of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in last Saturday's local government elections has generated speculation about a possible power-sharing deal that would form a "coalition Cabinet" led by KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) or Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平).
However, Ma yesterday dismissed the idea, and said he was committed to finishing his term as Taipei mayor.
"I am Taipei mayor, and I don't want to escape my responsibility halfway through my term, since I made an eight-year promise to the people of Taipei," Ma said yesterday after presiding over a municipal meeting.
Ma said the pan-blue camp now holds barely half of the seats in the legislature, which makes the party's position too weak to form a new Cabinet.
"The discussion of a Cabinet reshuffle led by the pan-blue camp is meaningless now because the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has already dismissed such suggestions," he added.
The KMT has proposed a "coalition government" more than once since the beginning of the DPP administration in order to break the deadlock between the executive and legislative branches. Both proposals were promptly dismissed by the DPP, which ridiculed the KMT for trying to extract a share of the electoral spoils despite twice having lost the presidential vote.
Ma said that in a "coalition Cabinet," the party with a legislative majority holds the power to form the Cabinet, and not the president.
"The DPP can't accept such an idea, and therefore has never implemented the semi-presidential system," he said.
While the DPP government has been against the idea, political analyst Liao Da-chi (廖達琪) of National Chungshan University predicted that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) may now reconsider the possibility, and invite Ma or Wang to form a new Cabinet.
"That could be a strategy Chen may use to intensify the rivalry between Ma and Wang if he invited Wang to be in the Cabinet," Liao said. "On the other hand, it would be a heavy responsibility for Ma if he agrees to form the Cabinet."
Kao Yuang-kuang (高永光), dean of the social science college at National Chengchi University, held a different view, and said due to Chen's characteristics, the possibility of a coalition cabinet would be slim, because of of Chen's fear of giving away too much power.
"What Chen is most worried about is that if he gives up some power to the opposition parties, all of his power will be taken away," Kao said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS