Taipei, June 10 (CNA) Vice President Annette Lu's staff said on Saturday that she never said anything to the effect that President Chen Shui-bian will play the role of the "good guy" while she plays the role of the "bad guy" in the new government.
The staff was trying to counter the flap caused by Lu's remarks while addressing the National Forum on Women's Affairs. Lu avoided the media on Saturday morning, only passing a message through her security guards that she "would not accept interviews."
Lu said during her address on Friday that men have been responsible in the past for causing the tensions between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and that Beijing has vented its anger on two Taiwanese women -- herself and A-mei, the pop diva who sang the ROC national anthem at President Chen's inaugural ceremony.
Lu praised President Chen Shui-bian's "high intelligence" for picking her as vice-president and to play the role of "bad guy."
She also pointed out that Chen also asked Tsai Ing-wen to serve as the top policy-maker concerning the ROC's mainland policy and Chung Chin to be the government's spokesman, allowing the "beautiful voice of Taiwanese women to emanate from the political stage."
The Presidential Office later on Friday issued a statement saying that the nation's constitution provides for the president to be responsible for military affairs, foreign relations, cross-strait affairs, and major policy decisions.
The statement said that some people may believe that related policies or comments related to the above mentioned areas of responsibility carry a "bad guy and good guy" design, or that such a design has been used with the purpose of confusing the actual meaning of the government's policies, but this is "untrue."
Members of Lu's staff said she "absolutely" did not say that "President Chen plays the role of the good guy, and she plays the role of bad guy."
According to her staff, Lu actually meant that Chen was wise in choosing a woman deputy, and that mainland China, from President Jiang Zemin to various news media, which have called her a "traitor" and "scum of the Chinese nation," have relentlessly launched a smear campaign against her and have turned her into the "bad guy."
The staff said that the Vice President does not think the statement issued by the Presidential Office was aimed at her and stressed that there is good coordination between the president and vice president, adding that the vice president will respect the nation's constitution.
They said that the timing of the Presidential Office's statement creates the false impression of a connection to her statements, adding that the public need not worry about there being poor communication within the Presidential Office.
Sources at the Presidential Office said privately on Saturday that Lu needs to be careful in her articulation because of her high-profile position and that her words could trigger different responses if they are over interpreted.
The opposition People First Party urged that the vice president exercise self restraint and that the Presidential Office explain clearly the vice presidential powers in order to stave off similar controversies in the future.
Chiu Chuang-liang, the PFP whip in the Legislative Yuan, said that Lu should restrain herself and should not randomly speak on behalf of the Presidential Office.
Vice Professor Kuo Cheng-liang of Soochow University even suggested reforming the constitution to give the president the power to replace the vice president if Lu continues unchecked.
Kuo said that Lu's remarks on Friday are tantamount to a confirmation that Taiwan is using a "double-handed" strategy in the handling of cross-strait relations, which he said endangers national security.
Kuo noted that Chen of the pro-independence DPP party has continued to send out conciliatory messages to the other side of the Taiwan Strait since his election on March 18, but the United States and mainland China might question Chen's goodwill and sincerity because of Lu's comments.
Lu, a stalwart of the DPP, triggered a strong response from Beijing after commenting in an interview following the Mar. 18 election victory that Taiwan should be considered a "remote relative and close neighbor" of mainland China.
(By Lilian Wu)
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