President, VP take campaign to the people

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) will meet today with people from all walks of life in order, they say, to show their sincerity about listening to the voice of the people.

Billed as the first direct conversation between the president and his grassroots constituents, the meeting is to be held today at a small township in Miaoli County.

"The gathering will be a casual chat to gain a better understanding of public opinion," said Presidential Office spokesman James Huang (黃志芳).

"President Chen will chat with a dozen or so townsfolk beneath a banyan tree near the Taoist Yuching Temple," Huang said, adding that the meeting is expected to last about an hour.

Huang said the chat will proceed in a casual, amicable atmosphere. "The topics will cover whatever subjects townspeople are interested in," he said.

Miaoli County, located about 80km south of Taipei, is a Hakka stronghold. Yeh Chu-lan, chairwoman of the Cabinet-level Council for Hakka Affairs, will accompany Chen on what is being described as a community-outreach visit.

Huang said that the "treeside chat" would be a new channel for the president to exchange views with grassroots constituents. In the US, he said, presidents have often held direct dialogues with ordinary citizens during community tours.

With the next presidential election only a year away, Chen has stepped up efforts to reach out to the public. The new idea is part of his drive to win voter support.

Meanwhile, Lu, who is on her own grassroots tour of the country, yesterday urged the public to recommend a proper candidate to serve as Chen's running mate in next year's presidential election.

"I hope that all fields of the country can recommend their name lists to allow the president to make the final decision," Lu said, adding that she is just one of those possible choices.

"Without prejudice and out of selflessness, I have also endeavored to find the best candidate for President Chen," she said.

Lu made her remarks while visiting the 150-year-old Lin Family Mansion and Garden (板橋林家花園) in Panchiao.

Since KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) jointly announced that they would cooperate in the presidential election, Lu has often been asked by the media whether she will be Chen's running mate.

While Lu has remained coy, DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lee ying-yuan (李應元) told reporters recently that Chen would not publicize his choice for vice president until July. Lee added that the president may consider choosing a non-DPP member as his running mate.

Taipei County Commissioner Su Chen-chang (蘇貞昌), who is also being regarded as a possible partner for Chen, yesterday accompanied Lu on one of her public engagements but refused to comment on the running-mate issue.