TSU promises support to DPP rally in Hsinchu

In a bid to not be outdone by the pan-blue camp's array of campaign activities, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is planning a campaign rally in Hsinchu tomorrow to bolster President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) candidacy in the upcoming presidential election.

The location of the rally was chosen to gain the support of the area's high proportion of Hakka residents.

Council Hakka Affairs Chairwoman Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭), former chairman of the Cabinet's Council of Agriculture Fan Chen-tsung (范振宗) and Taiwan Provincial Governor and former Hsinchu County commissioner Lin Kwang-hua (林光華) -- all Hakka -- are expected to go on stage to endorse Chen's candidacy.

Chen expected to be officially nominated by the party's Central Executive Committee on Dec. 10.

The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) said it would mobilize thousands of people to attend the DPP's rally tomorrow to show their support for Chen.

"Although the TSU is not as influential as the KMT or the [People First Party] PFP, we will do the utmost to draw the area's pro-localization voters to promote a pro-localization regime and thus support Chen's re-election bid," said Liao Hung-hsiang (廖宏祥), director of the TSU's office in Hsinchu.

Meanwhile, the structure of the pan-green camp's campaign team is slowly emerging with senior party officials ready to take up pivotal strategic roles.

There has been widespread media speculation that Taipei County Commissioner Su Chen-chang (蘇貞昌) will lead the party's campaign team, while DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) and Presidential Office Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) are also expected to take up key roles in the campaign team aiding Chen in his bid to win re-election.