Chen Ding-nan loses cancer battle

`Sorry'

"I am very sorry to hear about his death. Minister Chen was a DPP official with integrity and virtue," Ma said while attending the KMT's anti-President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) rally.

"Although not everyone agreed with his way of doing things, I think everyone identifies with his principles in maintaining his integrity," Ma said.

High quality

While lauding Chen Ding-nan's "high quality of administration during his term as Ilan County commissioner," the DPP's mayoral candidate for Kaohsiung, Chen Chu (陳菊) said: "We were good friends, old friends. I was reluctant to let him go, but I had no choice."

Additional reporting by Flora Wang, Mo Yan-chih and Jimmy Chuang