TSU doesn't want DPP's Shen as deputy speaker

Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) officials voiced their opposition yesterday to the possible selection of DPP lawmaker Shen Fu-hsiung (沈富雄) as deputy speaker of the legislature.

Party lawmakers and officials said that Shen has been hostile toward the TSU and former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), the party's spiritual leader, since the TSU was founded in August last year.

Critic of Lee

"Shen has been very critical of Lee Teng-hui, calling him formidable and cruel." He always looks down on the TSU," said Huang Chin-lang (黃金郎), director of the TSU's department of organization and development.

At a meeting yesterday, TSU legislator-elect Chen Chien-ming (陳建銘) passed out a list of statements Shen made between July to December last year. Chen said the documents prove that Shen has been hostile to his party.

"Initially he was opposed to the founding of the TSU. After the party was established he said the TSU would steal votes from the DPP and suggested that the DPP should not cooperate with the TSU. He once even said the TSU will win no more than three seats in the [legislative] elections," Chen said.

The director of the party's department of culture and information, Hsiao Kwan-yu (蕭貫譽), said that the TSU will respect any candidate nominated by the DPP through a democratic system, but it is equally important that this person have a basic respect for the TSU.

Huang called on his party members not to support Shen, saying, "the TSU would support anyone nominated by the DPP other than Shen."

The director of the pro-Taiwan party accused Shen of not being strong enough in his support of Taiwan. Huang said he hoped the DPP would pick someone who agrees with the TSU's localization principle.

In contrast to the stern reaction from Huang and Chen, the party's deputy secretary-general, Lin Jih-chia (林志嘉), appeared relatively unperturbed, declining to comment directly on the DPP lawmaker under attack.

TSU complaints

"The party has not yet decided who to support and who not to support, but it is true that some party members have had complaints about Shen," Lin said.

"The party will make a final decision after consulting former president Lee; the 13 TSU lawmakers will support the same ticket."

Lin added that the party will only support the incumbent legislative speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), the KMT vice chairman, in his bid for re-election under the condition that his deputy is not a PFP member.

Lin said that if the KMT plans to cooperate with the PFP, the TSU will not rule out the possibility of nominating its own candidate to compete against theirs.

The election for the leaders of the Legislative Yuan will be held on Feb. 1. Shen appears to be the most likely candidate to be chosen as deputy speaker.