Su's 'roundtable' shot down; no meeting plans

Sidelined in Taiwan’s unprecedented political crisis, Su surprised everybody Monday by proposing the multilateral meeting of political leaders to help solve the turmoil arising from Shih Ming-teh’s March of One Million campaign to depose President Chen Shui-bian.

Only Mayor of Taipei Ma Ying-jeou, who doubles as chairman of the Kuomintang, responded half-way.

Ma, similarly sidelined and seemingly powerless, agreed to meet the premier, who his Kuomintang, together with the People First Party, has all but decided to topple, if the president does not step down as Shih, a former Democratic Progressive Party chairman, demands.

Shih is leading the grassroots campaign, organized with NT$110 million in contribution from one million people demanding President Chen resign to take responsibility for corruption.

At Shih’s request, more than 360,000 people took to the streets in Taipei on September 15 in a “siege of the city” to show their determination to oust the president.

A protest sit-in is going on at the Presidential Plaza. At least half a million protesters would envelop the Poai district, where the Office of the President is located, in a “universal siege” on October 10 to shame the president who has to attend the National Day celebration.

But the Kuomintang chairman did not agree to attend Su’s roundtable.

He had his secretary-general Chan Chun-po and Kuomintang legislative caucus whip Tseng Yung-chuan meet the premier’s representatives to coordinate a Ma-Su summit yesterday.

Lin Hsi-yao and Lin Wan-yu, ministers without portfolio, had a two-hour meeting with Chan and Tseng at the Kuomintang Central Office in the evening.

Nothing was agreed upon, however.

Prior to the evening meeting, Ma gave a tea reception at the Kuomintang Central Office to tell the press how the bilateral meeting would be held and why.

The Kuomintang chairman praised the premier for his dedication to the promotion of the national interests rather than those of the DPP.

In particular, Ma said, the premier’s refusal to take part in a pro-Chen counter-rally “certainly has much to do with my decision to meet and talk with him.”

Some 70,000 supporters of the president took part in the counter-rally on Ketagalan Avenue on September 16. Su and a couple of other top DPP leaders did not participate in the march, which was marred by an attack on three TV reporters.

“That means he (Su) placed the national interests above those of his party and his own,” Ma told reporters. He added he had high expectations of the meeting, for which their lieutenants were expected to fix the date.

No date was set, however.

Huang Yu-chen, spokesman for the Kuomintang, said after the coordination meeting that there was a “four-point” consensus reached.

What Huang said was the consensus was no consensus at all.

He said both sides were agreed that the talks were held in a “very friendly” atmosphere.

Another agreement was that all “highly expect” the crisis would be solved.

Still another was that they have the identical purposes to achieve.

Last but not least, Huang said, both sides agreed to disagree and would “study the differences.”

No agreement was reached on whether another coordination meeting would take place.

Though neither side said where they differ, but their differences over the agenda of the Ma-Su meeting can never be bridged.

The opposition leader wants to talk about how President Chen will step down or step aside. Su, a quasi-head of government appointed by the president, is in no position to negotiate that issue.

In fact, both Ma and Su are facing opposition to the meeting from within their respective parties.

A few members of the Kuomintang central committee warned at a meeting Ma presided over yesterday that he should not meet the premier.

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