DPP official calls for a Hakka VP

"If choosing another deputy does not necessarily bring big benefits, the president would surely prefer to maintain the status quo."

An anonymous official at the Presidential Office

A Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) official suggested yesterday that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) consider Council for Hakka Affairs Chairwoman Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭) as his running mate for the March presidential election.

Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and Taipei County Commissioner Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) are considered the top contenders for the job.

Chinese-language newspapers reported yesterday that the DPP official believes Yeh's Hakka background would boost the party's chances in Hakka-dominated Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli and dispel the image the DPP is too focussed on the Hokkien ethnic group.

Lu has emerged as Chen's most likely choice of running mate after Chen hinted several times last month about picking her for another term.

The report said a heavyweight DPP official of Hakka origin proposed Yeh as a candidate because, like Lu, she is a woman, and her Hakka background could complement Chen and gain some 300,000 votes.

The official said the move was due to the strong public demand from the Hakka community for a Hakka vice president, adding the ethnic group's population in Taiwan is 6 million.

The report said the proposal was welcomed by leaders of the party's factions.

The official was widely believed to be DPP Deputy Secretary General Lee Ying-yuan (李應元), although he denied yesterday that he had made such a proposal.

Recent DPP polls have indicated that Chen's support rate was ahead of the blue-camp ticket featuring Chinese Nationalist Party Chairman (KMT) Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) in central and southern Taiwan. However, Chen's support rate was still trailing in the greater Taipei area and Hakka-populated Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli.

The party heavyweight is also believed to have recommended Yeh because she does not belong to any faction and would not create such strong opposition from factions as did Lu.

The Welfare State Alliance and the New Tide faction engaged in fierce wrangling last month over Chen's potential choice of running mate.

The report yesterday cited the official as saying that, "It has been the party's consensus that the president's choosing of a running mate does not involve the question of whether the vice presidential candidate would be a likely successor to Chen.

"Since the choosing of Lu and Su has already caused strong opposition from their respective factions, Yeh's low-key style and sound administrative record make her a competitive candidate among other female candidates for the vice presidency," the official was quoted as saying.

Yeh said yesterday she would respect Chen's decision on his running mate and refused to say whether she wants to compete for the job as vice presidential candidate.

Meanwhile, a source from the Presidential Office told the Taipei Times yesterday that Lu is Chen's first choice for running mate.

The source, a senior aide to Chen, said it would be wiser to think about the reasons why the president would consider choosing Lu again rather than thinking about who the president should nominate.

"Recent surveys have shown that support for Chen is at the same level as that of his opponent or that he is even in a leading position. This proves that the DPP's performance and campaign strategies have been successful," the aide said.

"The issues of referendums and the making of a new constitution have gained over 60 percent support, and it is not clever to start an internal brawl over the issue who should be vice president.

"It is most important to maintain internal stability," the aide said.

The aide stressed that Chen, rather than his running mate, will play the leading role in the campaign.

"If choosing another deputy does not necessarily bring big benefits, the president would surely prefer to maintain the status quo," the aide said.

The official said Chen's decision would not change unless some unexpected things happen.

With the party's national assembly less than a month away, Lu's opponents have rallied in a last ditch effort to change Chen's mind.