on whether to topple Premier Chang Chun-hsiung and when. Chang was inaugurated on May 14.
Long before Chang took office, PFP lawmakers had started planning to propose a no confidence vote on him as soon as he makes his mandatory administrative report.
He is scheduled to appear on the floor of the Legislative Yuan Friday to outline his policies in the next year, but the opposition is still squabbling over the ouster of the new cabinet to pave the way for new parliamentary elections.
Lawmaker Fu Kun-chi, PFP legislative caucus whip who made the first call for Chang's overthrow, said Kuomintang chairman Wu Po-hsiung told him the no confidence vote may be proposed either next month or in September.
"Wu said so," Fu pointed out, "and the reason why the dates haven't been fixed is that the Kuomintang is weighing which month will give the alliance the best of chances to win."
Kuomintang lawmakers have more than the timing to consider, however.
As a matter of fact, the Kuomintang legislative caucus decided last Friday that a no confidence vote should not be proposed unless two thirds of its members agree.
"A two thirds majority vote on that question is not at all easy to secure," said a Kuomintang heavyweight, who chose anonymity.
Many Kuomintang lawmakers do not believe President Chen Shui-bian will call legislative elections after Premier Chang is toppled.
Chen may appoint a new premier, who, if toppled, may be succeeded by another. The president may wait out the lawmakers and voters go to the polls in December as scheduled, in about a half year's time, to elect a new Legislative Yuan.
But more serious concern is shown over whether Chen will try to have legislative elections held together with the presidential race, slated for March next year.
Some Kuomintang legislators believe the two-in-one election would help the ruling Democratic Progressive Party. "Turnout will be large, and the ruling party may benefit," said Kuomintang lawmaker Wu Yu-sheng.
Others think otherwise. They are convinced the opposition alliance will have an advantage if the elections are held at the same time.
Still others believe they are not trying to vote out the premier in order just to force the president to call new legislative elections.
"We shouldn't be that selfish," said Kuomintang legislator Hsu Chung-hsiung.
Hsu said the opposition has to sack Chang, simply because he was a "very bad" premier in 2000-2001.
"Such a bad premier should not be installed again," Hsu pointed out.
That sounds like the Kuomintang determined to avenge its former chairman Lien Chan.
Lien went to the Office of the President to meet Chen Shui-bian shortly after Chang Chun-hsiung formed his first cabinet.
President Chen gave Lien personal and official assurances that work on Taiwan's fourth nuclear power plant would continue. As Lien stepped out of the Office of the President, Chang announced the suspension of the project.
The opposition considered it a betrayal and started to impeach the president. Chen was forced to have work resumed seven months later to weather his first political crisis.
But Taiwan had to pay for the losses in a five-year delay in the completion of the nuclear power plant, estimated at well over NT$100 billion.
As a result, Chang was declared a persona non grata in the Legislative Yuan. He had to resign.
PFP lawmakers are much more eager to fire Premier Chang to embarrass President Chen, who gave their former chairman James Soong a stab in the back in 2005.
Soong and Chen met for conciliation in February and signed an agreement of cooperation between the PFP and the ruling party.
Weeks later, President Chen reneged on his word and charged Soong with collaborating with Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of China's State Council. Soong is suing Chen for libel.
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