Chen, Lee troops join forces for battle

Supporters of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) joined hands yesterday to declare their unified support for Chen's presidential re-election bid next year.

Hwang Kun-hu (黃崑虎), president of the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, a national federation of groups supporting Lee, said the federation will cooperate with the DPP and all "friends of Chen Shui-bian" to ensure Chen's re-election.

Hwang also announced his determination to resign from his post on the Central Election Commission (CEC) to campaign for Chen's re-election.

"As a CEC member, I must maintain neutrality and refrain from campaigning for a specific candidate. As Chen's re-election is crucial to consolidate Taiwan's young democracy, I am determined to quit the CEC and dedicate myself to stumping for Chen," Huang told the press after a joint meeting of senior executives of groups from around the nation that support Lee and Chen.

He said although groups supporting Lee and Chen partially overlap, their formal integration will generate an even greater force in boosting Chen's victory in next year's presidential election.

Taiwan will face serious national identity problems because pro-unification forces refuse to recognize Taiwan's separate identity and want to push for unification with China, Hwang said.

"Chen must win next year's election to deepen Taiwan's democratic reforms and safeguard its sovereign status," said Hwang.

DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) yesterday said the next presidential election is will be a battle of opposing forces: the "one China" principle versus the idea of "one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait"; the advancement of democracy versus the return of the authoritarian regime; and government by a new political generation versus government by senile politicians.

DPP Legislator Lawrence Gao (高志鵬), who represents the groups supporting Chen, said that the joint meeting was aimed at pooling the resources of all pro-Taiwan groups in support of Chen's campaign and fighting against what they call Beijing's attempts to annihilate Taiwan.

Other attendees at the landmark meeting included TSU Secretary General Lin Chih-jia (林志嘉), Examination Yuan President Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文) and DPP Deputy Secretary General Lee Ying-yuan (李應元).

In related news, the Lee Teng-hui School, a political academy established by the former president, yesterday celebrated the first graduating class in National Affairs Research.

A total of 35 members from the class received their graduation certificates from Lee and were encouraged to follow his example of dedication to building a cohesive Taiwan self-identity.

Lee said the biggest problem Taiwan now faces is that the nation lacks a clear understanding of its own identity.

Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), one of the lecturers for the class, also addressed the graduates.

"Talent and education are two of the most important factors for deepening the social reforms the government has been trying to achieve. The members of this class are just what society needs for this reform movement."