Luo defends party reform at campaign event

DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang, second right, and DPP candidate for Taipei County commissioner Luo Wen-jia, left, raise their fists at the opening of Luo's campaign headquarters in Banciao yesterday. PHOTO: HO YU-HUA, TAIPEI TIMES

The Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) candidate for Taipei County commissioner, Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉), defended his "new DPP movement" again yesterday, promising to make top local officials put their property in a collective trust in order to prevent corruption.

"The `new DPP movement' will reignite the party's founding spirit and core values of freedom, democracy, fairness and justice. If elected, I will start the reform effort within the county to establish an honest and upright local government," Luo told supporters after opening his campaign headquarters in Banciao yesterday.

Luo as county commissioner, he would make top county officials put their property in a trust and would transfer any staff member indicted for any kind of misbehavior to another post.

DPP Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) was on hand yesterday for the opening of Luo's campaign office and he backed Luo's proposals.

"The public expects the DPP to reform. As the party in power, we have our own burdens, and so we need to humbly listen to the people's voice," he said.

Su the DPP's biggest enemy is itself, and agreed with Luo that party reform was necessary.

In response to recent allegations of corruption within the government, Su said President Chen Shu-bian (陳水扁) is determined to sweep away corruption in the most effective way.

He called on the public to "give DPP another chance."

Luo urged the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday to follow suit and make a self-critique in regards to the long-delayed party-assets bill and the special arms procurement budget.

Only a reformed DPP and KMT, Luo said, can the country's politics be "healthy and sound."

Luo, a DPP heavyweight, became the center of attention recently after proposing the idea with former legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康), who is also the convener of the DPP's largest faction -- the New Tide Faction. While winning support from some, the idea has also been harshly criticized as simply a gimmick to boost Luo's campaign and to ease out the party's older generation.

Luo shrugged off the criticism. He said voters were more concerned about issues relating to the county government than the party's internal affairs. However, recent problems had already affected the DPP's outlook for the elections, and so now was the right time to revive voters' faith in the party, he said.

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