President has control over sensitive areas: Ker

Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative council convener lawmaker Ker Chien-ming said Chen’s role in formulating policies in sensitive areas such as defense and relations with China were “irreplaceable”.

“Although the president announced he was delegating some of his authority, handling defense, foreign affairs and cross-strait policy are still (his) duties,” Ker said.

Chen in February raised tensions with Beijing and Washington after he unexpectedly scrapped a council devoted to unification with the mainland. His popularity both within and outside the party has since taken a severe beating after a series of alleged corruption scandals involving a former aide and close family members.

Speculation that Su has seized control of the DPP is mounting after DPP members believed to be backed by Su last weekend were elected by the party to hold half the seats of the party’s powerful Central Standing Committee.

Still more local media reports said that although a motion was passed at the party’s national congress on the weekend to disband its factions, the party was still experiencing fiery internal power struggles, with half of it supporting Su, viewed as a likely presidential contender, and half against him.

Ker dismissed this all as media hype and over-analyzing from political commentators.

He said that after Chen delegated some of his authority to Su and his Cabinet — a move made to please the party after Chen’s son-in-law was arrested on suspicion of insider trading — he would govern according to the constitution.

“There are no problems with power struggles,” Ker said.

Chen is constitutionally barred from running for president for a third time. The four people who are viewed by the party and the media as being likely presidential candidates for the party are Vice President Annette Lu, Taipei mayoral candidate Frank Hsieh, DPP chairman Yu Shyi-kun and Su.

Lawmaker Hsu Kuo-yung also denied reports that said Su had rushed ahead in the race to succeed Chen as a leader and that Lu was planning a counterattack.

“These are all guesses,” he said. “One of the DPP’s special characteristics is that everyone is allowed to speak their mind. What would stop people from opening fire?”

Ker also said party members would have a buffer period for disbanding the factions. He said measures accompanying the motion to disband the factions, such as fines for disobeying it, would be handed to the next national party congress and party members needed to put their affairs in order before then.

He urged all DPP members to follow the motion unanimously, pointing out the next legislative election in 2007 would be made under a new election system and competition among potential legislative candidates would be unavoidable.

The United Evening News reported yesterday that after the Central Standing Committee elections, a new faction consisting of Su, the former New Tide (New Movement) faction and the Green Amity alliance had formed.

Quoting sources, it said party insiders called the group the “New Su Alliance”. The sources, senior members of the DPP, also said they were afraid the party could face a similar situation to one in 1986, at the time of its founding, when the Formosa faction was clashing with the New Tide faction. They said with the 2008 presidential elections only two years away, they were afraid the division might harm the party.

Other sources said they thought the DPP’s factions might dissolve in name only.

Lawmaker Cheng Yun-peng urged the party to settle the matter by choosing its presidential candidate according to party procedures as soon as possible. He also spoke out in support of Su.

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