Former DPP chairman Hsu Hsin-liang (
"Lien is the most knowledgeable [candidate] and is also the one who possesses the broadest experience," said Hsu. "I think Lien would be the best leader for the nation. It's just that [in the past] his strengths have not been highlighted and therefore remain unnoticed."
A KMT member during the 1960s, Hsu made the remarks at the KMT's weekly Central Standing Committee meeting after he was invited to make a speech to its members.
Hsu said that he had high expectations that Lien could overcome any personal ideological biases and emotions to become the best-qualified candidate for next March's election. He also alluded to criticism fired by the DPP, noting that age has nothing to do with leadership.
A pan-blue joint presidential ticket became a reality after Lien and the PFP signed a memorandum of understanding last month on the formation of a KMT-PFP alliance, with PFP Chairman James Soong (
The DPP has since criticized the pairing of 67-year old Lien and 61-year old Soong as the epitome of old-broom politics.
"A good national leader needs a good ruling party. This has nothing to do with age or the idea of new and old," Hsu said.
Hsu mentioned in his speech that, being cast in the role of opposition party is a trial for the KMT, in which it must prove it can take on a leadership role and lead Taiwan.
The nation was facing a critical moment in history and needed a wise national leader and ruling party, Hsu said.
When asked by the media whether or not he would consider returning to the KMT, Hsu said no.
"I left the [KMT] then because I thought that it was preventing Taiwan's democratic development. And that is the same reason that I later left the DPP," Hsu said. "I don't regret the decisions I made."
Hsu ran his own maverick campaign for the post of Taoyuan County Commissioner in 1977. The KMT expelled Hsu over the 1977 Chungli Incident, when violent street protests broke out after rumors of vote-rigging began circulating after that election.
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