Lee Ying-yuan interested in Taipei C?ounty chief post

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Deputy Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) yesterday morning made public his interest in participating in the election for Taipei County Commissioner at the end of the year.

"Of course I have a strong inclination to join the election. But the DPP has it own primary system and I believe the party will nominate the most suitable candidate," Lee said yesterday after taking some international friends to visit the Legislative Yuan.

Lee said that Taipei County is the most populous county in Taiwan and he believes that the candidates nominated by each political party must be selected from its elite.

Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), director of the DPP's information and culture department said yesterday said that the party has already set up a special panel to organize affairs for the county commissioner elections and will finalize the nomination before June.

So far, in addition to Lee, DPP Legislator Chen Chin-chun (陳景峻), from the New Tide Faction, and acting Taipei County Commissioner Lin Si-yao (林錫耀) are also prospective seekers of the DPP's nomination.

Meanwhile, Chinese-language media also pointed to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus whip Huang Teh-fu (黃德福) as a contender for Taipei County Commissioner yesterday.

The KMT announced on Tuesday that in preparation for the mayoral and county commissioner elections to be held this year, Huang would be the new director of the party's Taipei County operations, fueling the speculation.

Speaking at KMT headquarters after attending the party's weekly Central Standing Committee meeting, Huang told reporters that there is "no chance" that he will run for commissioner."

"It would not be a good thing for me to run for commissioner because, first, I have no desire to run and I have no plans to run," Huang said.