Less than a week after a historic election shook up Taiwan's legislature, the island's two largest opposition parties Thursday ruled out accepting the President's invitation to join the island's first coalition government. The vote Saturday gave no party a majority in the 225-seat legislature, prompting President Chen Shui-Bian to try forging a ruling alliance to end gridlock and bickering that have hurt the Island's economy.
On Thursday, the leaders of the opposition Nationalist Party and People First Party met to discuss whether they would work with the president. The meeting could be just the beginning of what's expected to be a long period of power jockeying and negotiating before a new government begins to take shape in the next two months.
Speaking for both parties, nationalist chairman Lien Chan told reporters that the two parties would not approve of their members joining the new government. But Lien said that he was willing to meet with Chen and discuss pressing issues, but such a meeting wouldn't happen soon. There's no reason to just meet, shake hands and take a photo and accomplish nothing, said Lien, adding that he was still consulting with party members.
Last weekend's vote ended the Nationalists' five-decade control of the legislature and gave Chen's democratic progressive party the largest number of seats in the lawmaking body.
Bureau Report