Chen takes over DPP leadership

Anticipating fierce competition in the year-end mayoral races, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who was sworn in as the DPP chairman yesterday, said that the mayoral elections should not be used as a means to create confrontation among constituents nor be twisted into an opportunity for the central and local governments to attack each other.

"The DPP has never intended to attack anyone or give anybody a hard time, and has only had the improvement of the city's living environment and quality of life in mind," Chen said.

Chen made the remarks during the opening ceremony of the first assembly of the party's newly elected National Congress yesterday morning.

Later in the day, Chen was sworn in with 11 newly appointed Arbitration Committee members, 11 newly elected Central Review Committee members, 35 newly elected Central Executive Committee members and 15 Central Standing Committee members during the inauguration ceremony held at the International Convention Center.

Although the event attracted many political heavyweights, KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) failed to show up.

Instead, Lien sent Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭), director of the KMT's Mainland Affairs Division and Soong assigned PFP legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄) to attend the event.

Other party representatives included Lin Jih-chia (林志嘉), secretary-general of the TSU; Boonky Ho (何文杞), chairman of the Taiwan Independence Party; and Ng Chiau-tong (黃昭堂), chairman of the World United Formosans for Independence.

Chen, who served as the mayor of Taipei between 1994 and 1998, said that Taipei citizens definitely deserve to live in a better environment and enjoy a better quality of life.

"I'm confident that the DPP will do a much better job than the KMT, and the DPP candidate, Lee Ying-yuan (李應元), will outperform me as the city mayor if elected," he said.

Chen also gave high marks to outgoing party chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), who is seeking his second term as Kaohsiung mayor.

"I'm calling on Kaohsiung citizens to give Mayor Hsieh another four years to serve the city," he said. "I believe he'll turn the city into the most beautiful and prosperous city in southern Taiwan."

Describing himself as a warrior, Hsieh said that he's ready to fight his next war.

"My next battlefield is Kaohsiung and I'm sure I'll lead the city to become a place with international standards, just as the DPP will take Taiwan to reach the peak of the mountain," he said.

Hsieh said that he believes a new era of political stability will ensue as the party officially enters an era in which the state and party are in step.

"The past two years has been hard, but we've managed to pull it off and successfully transform from an opposition party to a ruling one," he said. "I believe difficulties will gradually be resolved and political stability will ensue."

Explaining the necessity of party reforms, Hsieh said the party should think ahead while figuring out a way to stabilize the political climate.

"Although the DPP has become the ruling party and the biggest party in the legislature, it's not a guarantee that we'll stay on forever," he said. "That's why we have to push for party reforms."

When the party was in opposition, its aim was to monitor the government and win elections. But now that it's the ruling party, Hsieh said, it's a different ball game.