Two of the younger lawmakers from the pan-blue alliance yesterday condemned politicians from the KMT and the PFP who they said are privately pushing for nominating Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and former Kaohsiung mayor Wu Den-yi (吳敦義) as running mates in the 2004 presidential election.
"We appeal to those ambitious middle-aged members of both parties, who are now spreading dissent, to stop this conspiracy," PFP Legislator Sun Ta-chien (
KMT Legislator Hsu Shu-po (
"We hope KMT Chairman Lien and PFP Chairman Soong can meet as soon as possible to discuss how to cooperate in the election," Hsu said.
At a press conference yesterday, Hsu and Sun said that only cooperation between the two party chairmen can prevent the sowing of discord within the blue camp.
While many senior members of the KMT and PFP are eager to create a mechanism for a Lien-Soong ticket, calls are growing for the two to retire to allow Ma and Wu to represent the pan-blue alliance.
Hsu and Sun charged that attempts to pull down Lien and Soong will result in the KMT's failure in the presidential contest.
Asked about who those ambitious politicians might be, Hsu and Sun said independent lawmaker Sisy Chen (陳文茜) and Wu are the key figures organizing younger KMT lawmakers, academics and their friends in the media to raise the issue of whether Lien and Soong are too old and uncharasmatic to lead the country.
"Sisy Chen and her group obviously try to guide public opinion through the media to encourage those pan-blue alliance supporters to push for nominating Ma and Wu," Hsu said.
Sun singled out Wu as engaging in suspect activities.
"Wu, assisted by some KMT officials, has launched a signature drive in northern Taiwan in connection with `party services,' without stating clearly what the signatures are for. These activities can be regarded as a movement to mobilize party members to jointly support Ma and Wu as presidential running mates," Sun said.
The KMT has a tradition of urging its members to sign petitions on vague pretexts, and later presenting reams of signatures in support of some much more specific political goal.
Responding to Hsu and Sun's accusation, Sisy Chen said that her comments on TV talk shows about organizing a group to "supervise Lien and Soong" were just taunts against the KMT and PFP, which she said are all talk but no action.
"The key point to ease anxiety within both parties about the issue of nominating a presidential candidate is that Lien and Soong should clearly express their attitude about the election," she said.
"Elder leaders, who rely on Lien and Soong for political power, have cautiously cooperated to oppose Ma," Sisy Chen said.
Wu also denied that he has launched any signature drive.
"Neither Ma nor I have the ability to undertake such a grand activity without party headquarters' involvement," Wu said.
Meanwhile, KMT Secretary-General Lin Feng-cheng (林豐正) said that the party has assigned members to negotiate with the PFP on a Lien-Soong meeting.
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