Dec. 1 elections: TSU ads target younger voters and Lee supporters

The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) will launch its first television commercials today, focusing on the party's affection for Taiwan and asking the public to give former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) the credit he deserves.

Shu Chin-chiang (蘇進強), the party's secretary general, said the ads would not copy those of the opposition parties in attacking the DPP. Instead, the ads would aim to elicit the sentiments of Taiwanese toward their country.

Chen Kun-hou, (陳坤厚), a prominent director known for his strong views about Taiwan, helped produce the ads.

The ads target three groups of voters: A crossword puzzle is aimed at young voters; A buffalo targets grassroots supporters and Justice appeals to staunch supporters of Lee.

A crossword puzzle is based on the theme of solidarity, said Chen Chien-ting (陳建廷), designer of the commercials.

"The commercial centers on its fun element," he said, "which attempts to draw the attention of the younger crowd."

A buffalo stresses the hard-working quality of the animal, which is symbolic of the TSU as an unheralded hard worker that endures hardship to fight for a better future of Taiwan, Chen Chien-ting said.

"The grassroots public in the countryside are the party's most loyal supporters. This one is aimed at consolidating the votes of this group," he said.

Justice, the most political ad, will show news clips of Lee, the spiritual leader of the TSU and former KMT chairman.

Lee was expelled from the KMT September for his support of the TSU.

Although he isn't a member of the TSU, Lee pushed for its formation in August.

Opposition politicians, many of whom advocate Taiwan's unification with China, have accused Lee of fueling ethnic tension through his pro-Taiwan policies.

"The TSU thinks Lee has been mistreated, and the purpose of this short film is to ask the public to give him the justice he is entitled to," Chen said.