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New Party suggests a plot by Lee

"Lee Teng-hui will siphon off all the pro-Lee legislators within the opposition once he enters the legislature. Then it will not be difficult for the DPP to find the support of 35 non-DPP lawmakers ."

Lee Ching-yuan, New Party Taipei City councilor

In an apparent swipe at former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), the New Party said yesterday that it had learned Lee will be listed as a legislative candidate for the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) in the year-end elections.

The New Party went on to accuse Lee of playing power games by helping the newly formed TSU in its quest to sweep up at least five percent of the vote.

The TSU quickly denied the claim, calling the suggestion that a former president would run for legislative office "vicious slander."

"Such hearsay is nonsense and completely groundless," said Su Chin-chiang (蘇進強), secretary-general of the TSU.

Su said the New Party was engaging in "vicious slander" because the party -- which is pro-unification and consists primarily of individuals who are not ethnic Taiwanese -- is opposed to everything Lee stands for.

The former president vowed on Sunday that he would turn the TSU into the nation's largest party and said he would not rest until the goal is achieved.

A Lee aide also said the popular leader would not seek election. "There is absolutely no such [plan]," said Lee Ching-yih (李靜宜), reacting to the lawmakers' remark.

New Party member Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明), along with the party's Taipei City councilors Lee Hsin (李新) and Lee Ching-yuan (李慶元), yesterday claimed that TSU insiders told them they plan to place the former president at the top of the party's list of legislator-at-large candidates as a strategy to attract more votes.

"Such a strategy will easily allow the TSU to attract 5 percent of the vote in the election," said Yok.

Parties are eligible for legislator-at-large seats if they garner at least 5 percent of the vote.

Lee Hsin said that although the TSU will put Lee Teng-hui's name on the party's candidate list, Lee plans to give up serving in the legislature after the elections are over. "He is just playing power games," he said.

Much of the New Party's own fate rests on the year-end elections. The party currently only holds seven seats in the legislature -- barely enough to remain eligible for government funding, and it must receive 5 percent of the vote this December to be able to continue receiving those funds.

Lee Ching-yuan said that if Lee enters the legislature, the former president will become the "father of the emperor," or the one holding all the power.

"Lee Teng-hui will siphon off all the pro-Lee legislators within the opposition once he enters the legislature. Then it will not be difficult for the DPP to find the support of 35 non-DPP lawmakers to ensure a majority in the legislature," he explained.

Yok, however, said that it will be impossible for the TSU to earn the 35 seats that would be necessary to swing the DPP to a majority. "The TSU itself has only 39 legislative candidates," he said.

The DPP hopes that it can find support from 35 non-DPP lawmakers to add to the 85 seats it expects to win in December in order to win control of the legislature.

The former president, whom the TSU claims as its spiritual leader, has openly supported President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in hopes of stabilizing the country's shaky political situation which has been much associated with the legislative chaos that has marked Chen's first year in office.
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