With a push from party colleagues, Kaohsiung City Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) is considering making a run for the DPP chairmanship, announcing yesterday that he would make a decision in two days.
"I will seriously consider the issue and then make a final decision in two days," Hsieh said after a meeting yesterday morning with DPP legislators who had traveled to Kaohsiung to show their support.
While some DPP members are confident Hsieh can win the post, others cautioned him to not take on too much responsibility.
PHOTO: LIAO JUI-HSIANG, LIBERTY TIMES
Hsieh said that if he decided to run he was confident he could handle both the party job and govern the biggest city in southern Taiwan.
"There is no conflict ... I can undoubtedly take on both and do my best," Hsieh stressed.
Hsieh, a former colleague of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who previously served as a Taipei City councilor and a legislator, has long been deemed a second-tier star in the DPP. A move to run for the party chairmanship -- along with Chen leading the central government -- could be the beginning of a "Chang-Bian" era (長扁共治) [Chang is Hsieh's given name].
After current DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) announced he would not seek another term in July, Hsieh started asking his colleagues' opinions.
The DPP's newly founded Mainstream Coalition, made up of many of Hsieh's supporters, yesterday encourage Hsieh to run for the job.
Other potential candidates, such as lawmaker Yen Chin-fu (顏錦福) and former DPP chairman Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文) told Hsieh in Taipei last night that they would yield to him. However, in spite of Hsieh's apparent strength, many DPP members are anxious about his situation.
"There is no one to compare to Hsieh within the party ... The real problem is whether he could balance the two posts, when one is based in Kaohsiung and another is in Taipei," said Lee Wen-chung (李文忠), DPP legislative caucus leader.
Lee advised Hsieh to be patient and loyal to his current position.
Hsieh's attempt, meanwhile, drew quick opposition from Kaohsiung City councilors.
People First Party councilors Mei Tsai-hsing (梅再興) and Tsai Ma-fu (蔡媽福) criticized Hsieh for what they called his neglect of Kaohsiung. They warned Hsieh not to place his own interests above those of Kaohsiung, otherwise he stood to lose more than he would gain.
In contrast to Hsieh's soaring status in the DPP, a rising star in the KMT -- Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) -- appears to be facing challenges within his party.
Although Ma's term will not expire until 2002, some of his opponents within the KMT are already planning to replace him as the party's candidate in the next mayoral election.
Former KMT spokesman Huang Hui-chen (黃輝珍) is reportedly being groomed as a potential rival. Huang does not deny the possibility.
Ma's recent handling of the anti-Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) protests outside the KMT headquarters, accentuated the rift between him and Lee.
KMT insiders now anticipate Ma's standing will suffer within the party.
WARNING: People in coastal areas need to beware of heavy swells and strong winds, and those in mountainous areas should brace for heavy rain, the CWA said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued sea and land warnings for Typhoon Ragasa, forecasting that it would continue to intensify and affect the nation the most today and tomorrow. People in Hualien and Taitung counties, and mountainous areas in Yilan and Pingtung counties, should brace for damage caused by extremely heavy rain brought by the typhoon’s outer rim, as it was upgraded to a super typhoon yesterday morning, the CWA said. As of 5:30pm yesterday, the storm’s center was about 630km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving northwest at 21kph, and its maximum wind speed had reached
MATAIAN RIVER: Rescue operations were ongoing, with officials urging residents to move to higher floors where possible as teams focus first on those at ground level Floodwaters from the overflowing Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) barrier lake swept into Hualien County’s Guangfu Township (光復) yesterday afternoon, leaving hundreds of people trapped and three missing as of press time last night, the Hualien County Fire Bureau said. The waters surged into downtown Guangfu after the riverbank burst at about 2:50pm, carrying mud and debris and submerging streets to rooftop level in some areas. Residents were seen climbing onto vehicles and rooftops to await rescue as thick, silt-laden water inundated the town. The surge destroyed the Mataian Bridge (馬太鞍溪橋) and flooded the Guangfu Railway Station. Rescue operations were launched with support from fire departments
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said that it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Ragasa this morning and a land warning at night as it approached Taiwan. Ragasa intensified from a tropical storm into a typhoon at 8am yesterday, the CWA said, adding that at 2pm, it was about 1,110km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip. The typhoon was moving northwest at 13kph, with sustained winds of up to 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA Web site showed. Forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said that Ragasa was projected to strengthen as it neared the Bashi Channel, with its 200km
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hualien and Taitung counties declared today a typhoon day, while schools and offices in parts of Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties are also to close Typhoon Ragasa was forecast to hit its peak strength and come closest to Taiwan from yesterday afternoon through today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Taiwan proper could be out of the typhoon’s radius by midday and the sea warning might be lifted tonight, it added. CWA senior weather specialist Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said that Ragasa’s radius had reached the Hengchun Peninsula by 11am yesterday and was expected to hit Taitung County and Kaohsiung by yesterday evening. Ragasa was forecast to move to Taiwan’s southern offshore areas last night and to its southwestern offshore areas early today, she added. As of 8pm last night,