Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) suggested yesterday that a campaign against President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) in 2012 should have one aim: replacing a Beijing-centric government with one that is more focused on Taiwan.
His remarks come after the Chinese-language United Daily News quoted sources close to the former president as saying that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) should look for political figures outside the party for its nominees prior to 2012.
The United Daily News wrote that Lee believed the opposition party should attempt to rally with other “anti-Ma” figures to broaden its support base. The inclusion of these figures on the presidential ticket would represent a type of “third influence,” the newspaper cited the sources as saying.
Listed as part of the group were KMT Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and former DPP chairman Shih Ming-teh (施明德), who headed a movement against then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in 2006.
In a Facebook posting yesterday afternoon, Lee, 87, did not reject the report, but said that “regardless of what the media say, my viewpoint is very simple. The only target should be the change of this China-leaning regime.”
Offering his opinion on how the DPP should arrive at this conclusion, he said that potential candidates should be chosen based on how much they “loved the people,” their ability to uphold Taiwan’s sovereignty and their sense of justice.
He said this was in addition to other key factors, including how large a chance a potential candidate had of winning the presidential poll and their ability to “lead Taiwan on its own road, politically, economically and culturally.”
“As for who would pair up with who, how the nomination would be made, how they would consolidate the ticket and other details, that’s not the main point,” he added.
The DPP is under pressure to submit a proposal showing how it plans to select presidential nominations to its annual party congress by the end of this month. The plans are expected to come under discussion in a scheduled meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee today.
The selection procedures are then expected to be passed by the congress when it meets on Jan. 22.
Leading DPP figures have so far remained mum on what names they plan to include in the ballot.
At a separate setting yesterday, Wang rebutted the possibility that he would bid for the presidency in 2012.
“I have said that it is -impossible,” Wang said when approached for comment.
Commenting on the United Daily News report, KMT Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) also shrugged off the speculation, saying it was too early to discuss potential candidates for the election, while KMT Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) suggested that Ma consider running on the same ticket as the speaker, saying: “Wang is the KMT’s treasure.”
KMT Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) said the rise of a “third force” would serve as a wake-up call for the KMT administration because it would mean the public is not satisfied with its performance.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG
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