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President welcomes challenge to give up negative campaigning

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday responded positively to an appeal by three prominent Taiwanese who jointly published an advertisement in a Chinese-language newspaper urging both presidential candidates to give up negative campaigning.

Chen said the subjects raised in the advertisement were also his concern, and that he would humbly do self-analysis to abide by their suggestions.

However, Chen stressed that as the head of state, he had to consider the interests of the majority of the country, instead of those of business leaders, who give their support but ask for personal favors in return.

"I have read the entire statement and I want to express my appreciation to them," Chen said at a party to promote his latest book yesterday afternoon.

"Those three friends have touched on my heartfelt wishes, which have been foremost in my mind during the past three years," he said.

The advertisement was jointly published by Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲), Cloud Gate Dance Theater's artistic director Lin Hwai-min (林懷民) and Formosa Plastics Group chairman Wang Yung-ching (王永慶), who have all showed their support for Chen during the last presidential election.

Chen appealed to the pan-blue camp to be optimistic about Tai-wan's future instead of cursing the nation.

"I hope that everyone would value the achievements that Taiwan's people have jointly realized instead of leveling vicious criticism that harm the nation's development. And I look forward to having a rational competition with my opponent," Chen said.

Lee, who has been regarded as a key figure assisting Chen to power in 2000, said on Wednesday that the significance of this year's presidential election is not who wins, but whether the winner can achieve parliamentary reform and whether the loser can learn to accept the result of the election and cooperate with the new administration.

"I hope that after the 2004 presidential election, there will be a strong `people's power' to positively dominate the politics in Taiwan," Lee said. "And since the President becomes less important, the people's power will serve as the main element to keep pushing for progress."

In response to a question whether the newspaper advertisement was a symptom of business leaders' disappointment with Chen's performance, Chen said that as the President he could not completely accept any particular company's suggestions.

"As a politician, I fully welcome support from all fields, but, as the nation's leader, I must clearly differentiate between private and the public's interests," Chen said.
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