Former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) son, Chen Chih-chung (陳致中), yesterday dropped out of the legislative race, saying that he had to prioritize “the general interests of the Democratic Progressive Party” (DPP), although it was a hard decision to make.
“I did not want to see the primary cause a rift in the party. I could not be so heartless as to hurt the feelings of the party’s supporters. I did not want to see the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT], the media and the Special Investigation Division [SID] intervene in the elections,” Chen Chih-chung told a press conference as he read a prepared statement.
Chen Chih-chung said that the last thing he wanted to see was his ailing father, who was granted temporary medical parole in January after serving six years of a 20-year sentence for corruption, being slandered and vilified once again because of his participation in the legislative election.
Photo: CNA
“I really do not have the heart to see that,” he said, adding that he hoped his supporters would understand, because he is “under immense pressure.”
His announcement came days after media reports alleging that Chen Shui-bian had received several billions in New Taiwan dollars from construction magnates.
The allegation was made by former DPP spokesperson Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青), who resigned after it sparked anger among the former president’s supporters.
Hsu’s accusation has led the SID to open an investigation, following demands by KMT lawmakers, and elicited criticism of Chen Chih-chung from political commentators over his role in the corruption charges involving his family and over his qualifications to run for legislator.
Holding in his hands the results of polls that he said put him 10 points ahead of Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆), who recently resigned as director of the Kaohsiung City Government’s Marine Bureau to run for office, and three-term Kaohsiung City Councilor Chen Hsin-yu (陳信瑜), Chen Chih-chung said he was confident he could have won the party’s primary for the Siaogang (小港) and Cianjhen (前鎮) districts.
The 35-year-old Chen Chih-chung entered politics in 2010, when he collected 32,947 votes in the constituency to secure a seat on the Kaohsiung City Council, the most in all the city’s districts and much higher than the 15,000 ballots he needed to take a seat.
Setting his sights on the legislative elections in January next year, Chen Chih-chung opted not to run for re-election in the nine-in-one elections in November last year.
“Many people have been asking me why I decided to drop out after preparing for the legislative election for five years and remaining the front-runner in the primary. What I am hoping for is that we can all unite in the best interests of the party,” he said.
Chen Chih-chung said he made the decision after much consideration, and that his father respected his decision.
He denied he had accepted any offer in exchange for his withdrawal.
At the press conference, Chen Chih-chung also offered an apology to former DPP legislator Kuo Wen-cheng (郭玟成), who failed to win re-election in the last legislative election in 2012, saying that his quitting the DPP to run in the election had split the party vote, resulting in the loss of the seat to the KMT in the DPP stronghold.
Chen Chin-chung’s application to re-enter the party was approved last month.
Political commentator Wang Shi-chi (王時齊) said Chen Chih-chung’s withdrawal from the campaign would boost the DPP’s chances in the combined presidential and legislative elections in January, because issues related to the corruption charges involving members of the Chen family would be sidelined.
That Chen Chih-chung sacrificed his personal interests for the good of the party deserved praise, she said.
“If he had insisted on running, any move by Chen Shui-bian to campaign for him would become the center of attention in the elections,” she said.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) commended Chen Chih-chung for making the decision, although she said she regretted he had to make it.
However, some of Chen Shui-bian’s supporters said that they were not happy with the decision.
Taipei General Hospital physician Kuo Chang-feng (郭長豐), a member of the former president’s civilian medical team, said on Facebook that Chen Chih-chung has brought the political life of the Chen family to an end.
He said that he would never criticize DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), the party’s prospective presidential candidate, but hinted that he would not cast a ballot in next year’s poll.
“The 2016 presidential election is not a concern of mine anymore,” he said.
Taipei Veterans General Hospital physician Kuo Cheng-deng (郭正典), also a member of the civilian medical team, made similar comments.
“The 2016 presidential election is none of my business,” he said.
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