Seeking to defuse concerns about the controversial remarks made by the vice president, President Chen Shui-bian (
"There's no question now about who will be my running mate as the party has not yet entered the nomination process," Chen said in a press release made available by the Presidential Office yesterday morning.
Chen made the remark after talking to Vice President Annette Lu (
Lu surprised the public by expressing her willingness to forsake the opportunity to team up with Chen in next year's election.
"With the consent of the president, I'm more than happy to pass the baton to someone else as the party is so full of talent," she said in a press release made available by the Presidential Office.
Political commentator Hu Chung-hsin (胡忠信), however, said that Lu's remark was a mere political tactic intended "to make concessions in order to gain advantages."
A Chinese-language newspaper also alleged that Lu had written Chen a letter in the run-up to the 2000 election, importuning Chen to pick her as his running mate.
The daily also claimed that Lu might compete with Chen for the presidency if he eventually decides not to pick her as his running mate.
In response, Chen yesterday dismissed the report that Lu's recent remark was intended to "make concessions in order to gain advantages."
"Regarding the nomination process of the last presidential election, the media didn't get the story right," Chen said.
Chen also called on the media to pay more attention to the government's economy boosting initiatives than potential candidates for the presidential election.
"As we're facing various difficulties and challenges -- such as the outbreak of severe acute respiratory disease [SARS] and the US-led attack against Iraq, both the opposition and ruling parties should concentrate on improving the economy, not winning the election and on pushing for reforms, not hindering each other's causes," he said.
Attempting to clarify her own stance, Lu told media personalities during a closed-door meeting in her official residence in downtown Taipei yesterday afternoon that she did intend to "make concessions in order to gain advantages."
"However, the advantage is for the party not for myself," Independent Legislator Sisy Chen (
By that Lu meant the DPP should expedite its nomination process, Sisy Chen said.
"The sooner the party nominates the candidates the better prepared the candidates will be," Lu said, adding that she knows many people are interested in her position.
Although the president has said he intends to run with Lu in next year's election, Lu said that she did not take it seriously.
"I want him to understand that it doesn't matter if he eventually chooses somebody else," she said.
Lu also took the opportunity to dismiss the media report that she had written a letter to the president, compelling him to pick her as his running mate in the 2000 presidential election.
She also said that she will not run for the presidency if the president does not pick her as his running mate.
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