`New DPP movement' keeps on gaining momentum

"Maybe Luo's proposal is like the flutter of a butterfly's wing, which might cause a most unexpected outcome that none could foresee," he said.

Given that integrity is the key element of this movement, Hsu said, the presidential candidates in 2008 will have to take up handling this problem, which will not be an easy task.

In this regard, Luo's opponent, the KMT candidate for Taipei County commissioner, Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋), has focused on attacking President Chen Shu-bian (陳水扁) on the issue of official integrity and has been bugging Luo to say who the target is that has be reformed -- given that Luo has been a long-time Chen supporter, going back to when Chen was Taipei City mayor.

"Therefore, Chen's reaction to the new DPP movement and his handling of Chou's aggression will become a significant factor determining the election result," Hsu said.

And if Luo wins the year-end election, the outcome also means that the Student Movement Generation can become the successors to the "Lawyer Generation" or "Kaohsiung Incident Generation," which referred to Chen, Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and Su.

Shih Cheng-feng (施正鋒), a professor in Tamkang University's department of public administration, agreed with Hsu's points but doubted the DPP's resolve to see through reform.

"What people expect from the DPP will not only be that it replaces the KMT's rule," Shih said.

"People want to see the concrete contents of the reforms and their [DPP's] honest reflection upon mistakes and correcting them," he said.

"Otherwise, nothing can save the DPP from decay no matter how many new movements are launched," Shih said.

"These would only be considered as mere instruments for campaigning purposes, which will not bring the DPP and the people of Taiwan anywhere," he said.