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TSU insists Lee and Chen still on the best of terms

"The [opposition parties] simply took this chance to divide the two parties' coalition. Lee has emphasized that the reason for his support is for the interest of the country. That belief won't be shaken just by a few words."

Shu Chin-chiang, secretary-general of the TSU

Relations between President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) remain firm, despite speculation to the contrary, a TSU official said yesterday.

Recently, there has been talk in political circles that relations between the two have soured over comments Chen made in his forthcoming book.

"Nothing has changed [between the two]," said Shu Chin-chiang (蘇進強), secretary-general of the TSU, yesterday.

"If people think their relationship would be hurt by just a few words, then you underestimate the solid basis of that relationship."

DPP legislative candidates yesterday also said that relations between Chen and Lee were on firm ground. Lee will soon hit the campaign trail to stump for DPP candidates in the lead-up to the Dec. 1 elections.

"To give a shot in the arm to the `pan-green' alliance, Chen and Lee will likely share the stage in southern Taiwan in the countdown to the elections, campaigning for both parties," a DPP candidate said.

In the past week, the hubbub within Taiwan's political circles has been that relations between Lee and Chen have been in turmoil because of comments made by the president in his new book, The Premier Voyage of the Century (世紀首航).

In the book, Chen writes that many files were not handed over during the transition of power in May last year, and that "National Security Council did not even have a complete set of minutes for its meetings."

Opposition politicians were quick to seize the chance to sow the appearance of discord between the two, claiming Chen was insinuating that Lee had hidden top-secret documents before leaving office.

Presidential Office officials said the opinions expressed in the book did not intend to accuse the former government of any wrongdoing.

Opposition politicians said the cozy relations between Chen and the 78-year-old former president -- who has been his closest political ally -- had been tarnished. In addition, they claimed that Lee was pondering dissolving the alliance between the DPP and TSU, which views Lee as its spiritual leader.

Shu yesterday refuted those suggestions as hearsay. "The [opposition parties] simply took this chance to divide the two parties' coalition," the TSU secretary-general said.

"Lee has emphasized that the reason for his support is for the interest of the country. That belief won't be shaken just by a few words."

Shu also said that Lee wasn't likely to offer his own account on the matter, as it wasn't necessary.

He added that the book was just trying to highlight the lack of an institution to handle changes in power.

Lee appeared calm and his mood undisturbed when he showed up at a campaign rally in Taipei on Tuesday evening. At the rally, Lee accused the opposition parties of igniting social conflict by utilizing the chance to "make a storm out of a teacup."

Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興), the DPP's candidate for Kaohsiung County commissioner, said cooperation between the TSU and his party would go forward unhindered by the opposition's tactics.

Yang confirmed that Lee would campaign for commissioner candidates in Taipei and Pintung Counties and the mayoral candidate in Taichung.

Yang also said that the two "campaign super stumpers," Chen and Lee, would share the same stage together, most likely in Kaohsiung, on the eve of the elections.
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