DPP refutes `black gold' allegations from Soong

DPP secretary-general Wu Nai-jen (吳乃仁) went on the counterattack yesterday to defend the party from charges that it was aligning with former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) so that it could practice "black gold" politics.

On Sunday, People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) said that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) had teamed up with Lee to take advantage of the former president's black gold connections.

Wu scoffed at the suggestion yesterday, and said Soong was being hypocritical.

"During last year's presidential election, major politicians of money and gangster stripes all stood behind Lien and Soong -- not Chen," he said.

"Unlike other parties, the DPP would not hypocritically join hands with these politicians while simultaneously publicly attacking them, trying to blur what is right and wrong."

Wu said voters should see through Soong's political tactics and vote for upright, clean candidates.

The DPP secretary-general also said he doubted whether a political alliance between the KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and Soong would work, saying it would be difficult for both politicians to hang on to party members who are Taiwan-focused in their politics.

"The exodus of some [of these people] from the opposition parties will be advantageous for the DPP," Wu said.

With the opposition alliance appearing to gain strength in recent days, there has been speculation as to whether the DPP would risk working with legislative candidates whose images are "questionable."

In recent months, there has been talk about the DPP working with legislators who are pro-Lee Teng-hui -- some of whom are considered to have shady reputations.

While offering few direct comments, Wu said that aligning with politicians with questionable backgrounds would "surely have a negative impact for the party, and could damage its long-term development and credibility."

But some DPP legislators yesterday rejected outright any possible coalition with corrupt politicians after the year-end elections.

The politicians said they would rather have Chen surrender his right to appoint the premier than ally with black gold factions.

"If party-to-party negotiations [to form a coalition government] don't work, the DPP should practice cohabitation (左右共治)," said DPP lawmaker Wang Sing-nan (王幸男).

DPP legislator Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) bluntly rejected any possibility of joining forces with lawmakers such as Lo Fu-chu (羅福助), the spiritual leader of the Tiendaomeng Gang (天道盟). Lo is currently recruiting members to organize a so-called "Justice Party."

As for legislators who are members of the Lee Teng-hui faction -- who support Lee's "localization" and "Taiwan First" policies and who, in that regard, share many of the same ideals as the DPP -- Tsai said the party should keep its distance from those that are considered controversial.