Annie Lee chastised for remarks

Annie Lee (李安妮), daughter of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), came under fire yesterday after she compared the recent meeting between President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) to a couple having sex on a blind date.

Lee made the remarks at a discussion on Thursday while speaking to reporters. Lee said that her father was disappointed by the results of the Chen-Soong summit.

Then, responding to Chen's recent comments that Lee had encouraged the Chen-Soong meeting, she added, "The parents wanted the children to drink coffee and consider a prospective marriage, not for them to sleep together."

Lee's metaphor drew a mixed reaction from opposition and governing camp legislators yesterday.

When questioned yesterday about the comments, DPP legislator Chen Chin-chun (陳景峻) joked that perhaps DPP-PFP cooperation was a romantic match that was destined to be.

But KMT Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) was less amused by Lee's comments.

Criticizing Lee's upbringing, Hung said that she was very rude to describe the Chen-Soong summit in such a manner.

During a meeting with Presidential Office Secretary-General Yu Shyi-kun yesterday, Ng Chiau-tong (黃昭堂), chairman of the World United Formosans for Independence, said yesterday that he felt that that Lee's comparison was inappropriate but that the political turmoil caused by the Chen-Soong meeting should end.

Yu met with Ng yesterday to encourage Ng to stay on as a presidential advisor, but Ng declined. Ng is one of several presidential advisors who have tendered their resignations in reaction to the meeting between Chen and Soong.