Lee urges voters to avoid `good-looking' candidates

Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) yesterday urged Taipei residents to vote for candidates who care for Taiwan and Taipei City's development.

He also told voters not to elect someone who is good-looking but incapable of looking after people's lives.

The TSU's spiritual leader praised the performance of the party's 13 legislators, saying the seven city councilor candidates nominated by the party will perform as well as the legislators.

Lee, along with TSU Chairman Huang Chu-wen (黃主文) and the party's 13 lawmakers, attended the TSU's only election rally, which drew more than 1,000 supporters last night.

Speaking as a former mayor of Taipei, Lee lambasted the performance of Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who is seeking re-election.

He attributed this year's drought problems and last year's flood in Taipei last year to Ma's poor management of water.

"[Ma] does not care about the livelihood of the people. Being goodlooking is utterly useless," said Lee.

He added that to ensure the city's development, it was insufficient just to vote for the right mayor, referring to DPP candidate Lee Ying-yuan (李應元). What's even more important is to choose competent city councilors to keep a close eye on the city's operation, he said.

Lee Teng-hui said the TSU is the only party that both cares for Taiwan and has a strong sense of justice.

He lauded the performance of the party's 13 lawmakers, dubbing them the "door-keepers of Taiwan."

"Without these TSU lawmakers, Taiwan would be devoured by Chinese forces," he said.

Founded in August last year, the independence-minded party obtained 13 legislative seats, accounting for 8.5 percent of the total votes, in the party's political debut in December last year.

In the party's second participation in election, the TSU nominated 7 candidates in both Taipei and Kaohsiung.

Huang told supporters not to underestimate the significance of Saturday's election.

He said this election should not be considered a regional election, "it is another battle where pro-Taiwan forces compete against the pro-China forces." Huang called for people to continue to support a party that insists on the Taiwan-first principle.

Lee Ying-yuan and his running mate Regis Chen (陳朝威), former chairman of Chinese Petroleum Corp, were also in attendance to show their support to the DPP's ally.

Earlier in the day, Lee Teng-hui visited the TSU's campaign headquarters and a nearby temple, to ask a deity for good luck in Saturday's election.