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PFP's non-nominees weigh their options

The People First Party (PFP) yesterday released a list of nominees for the year-end legislative elections, while some of those who failed to secure spots on the list considered running independent campaigns at the cost of losing their membership in the party.

PFP Cultural and Publicity Department deputy director Hsieh Kong-ping (謝公秉), who has long worked with grassroots supporters in Taoyuan County in preparation for campaigning in the December elections, was one hopeful who had not been nominated.

The party nominated incumbents Sun Ta-chien (孫大千) and Cheng Chin-ling (鄭金鈴) and political newcomer Lu Chih-ming (呂志明) as its candidates in Taoyuan County.

Party authorities said concern over overlapping vote bases was the primary reason for not nominating Hsieh. Both Hsieh and Cheng are of Hakka ethnic background, and Cheng held the advantage as an incumbent. Lu was nominated to gain support from the constituency's Minnan voters, PFP officials said.

Explaining that the party had to withhold nomination from some "excellent talents" in view of limited seats, PFP Vice Chairman Chang Chao-hsiung (張昭雄) said that the decision not to nominate Hsieh was made "out of the party's overall electoral considerations" and that the party would continue to entrust Hsieh with important tasks.

Also serving as a party spokesman, Hsieh had gained much media exposure over the past four years since the party's founding in 2000 with fierce criticism of the ruling administration in his frequent appearance on TV programs.

Hsieh yesterday said he would take a few days to decide whether he would run his own campaign and lose his party membership.

PFP caucus office manager Chen Cheng-sheng (陳振盛), who also failed to secure nomination, remained evasive yesterday about his plans.

While saying that withdrawing his PFP membership "is too much," Chen said he "would not rule out any possibilities."

Other nominees include PFP policy research chief Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) in north Kaohsiung City and incumbent Chiu Yi (邱毅) in south Kaohsiung City.
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