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Editorial: Hsieh's choice is the right one

Last week, former premier and former Kaohsiung mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) agreed to run in the Taipei mayoral race on behalf of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). This is most certainly one of the best pieces of news the party has had since the the investigation into corruption among top DPP officials and members of the first family began.

It is no secret that Hsieh has his eyes on the DPP candidacy for the 2008 presidential election. Hsieh and President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) are of the same generation within the DPP, and they are also both lawyers -- a fact that often attracts comparisons between the two and superficially suggests Hsieh is Chen's natural successor.

This is not to mention that Hsieh was twice elected mayor of Kaohsiung City -- the only special municipality in Taiwan other than Taipei. Under the circumstances, the Taipei mayoral seat was simply not enough to attract Hsieh's interest and satisfy his ambition. Following Chen into the Presidential Office -- or at least winning the DPP's nomination -- has to be the next logical step in Hsieh's career plan.

It is also no secret that up until the time when the insider trading scandal involving Chen's son-in-law Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘) first broke out, Hsieh was one of the so-called "four superstars" within the DPP eyeing the party's presidential nomination. The other three were Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun and Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌). With President Chen still in control, the question of who would receive his blessing within the DPP was undecided. All four seemed to have a shot at the top job.

But then Chao was taken into custody and Chen delegated most of his constitutional powers to Su. The "balance of power" and the race between the four superstars changed overnight. Su surpassed everyone else, and with the government more or less completely in his hands, Su has been given a chance to prove himself. Su is now not only the center of power, but also Chen's most likely successor -- that is, if Su performs well.

There are, of course, grave risks as well. With the pan-blue camp using every chance it can get to pull Su off his horse, he has every reason to fear becoming a casualty long before the 2008 presidential race even begins.

Under the circumstances, Hsieh's decision to run in the Taipei mayoral race is a wise move -- both for himself and for his party. For Hsieh, running for mayor will keep him in the media spotlight and give him the visibility he needs to maintain his status within the DPP. Even if he trails behind Su for now, at least there is a chance to catch up later. Of course, Hsieh is very likely to lose the mayoral race, given that the level of support for the DPP is at an all-time low and that voters in Taipei traditionally lean toward the pan-blues.

However, he will be remembered and revered by his comrades within the DPP for stepping up to fight a gritty battle. For the DPP, Hsieh's decision salvages the party from the embarrassment of having no candidate in the race. More importantly it gives the party some hope at a time when it has hit rock bottom. With a strong candidate in the race, the mayoral race is likely to become a focal point that unites the party -- and that is something that the DPP desperately needs at the moment.
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