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New DPP movement dies early death

Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Su Tseng-chang, left, participates in an election campaign event for Chiayi City mayoral candidate Chen Li-chen, center. Su yesterday reached a consensus with high-level party members on reducing internal strife. PHOTO: CNA

The "new Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) movement" faced an early death after DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) convened party heavyweights on Saturday night for talks on recent controversies, and agreed that the movement should be silenced forever.

In the wake of flak from President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) over the new DPP movement, which advocates self-criticism and reforms, Su on Saturday convened an urgent meeting of party members from each faction to address recent quarrels among them.

Those who attended the meeting included Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬), secretary-general of the Justice Alliance (正義連線), Chiu Chuei-chen (邱垂貞), chief of the Welfare State Alliance (福利國連線), Chen Sheng-hung (陳勝宏), convener of the Green Alliance (綠色連線), Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康), convener of the New Tide (新潮流) faction and other party higher-ups, including legislative caucus whips William Lai (賴清德) and Jao Yung-ching (趙永清), DPP Legislators Lee Wen-chung (李文忠) and Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), and DPP Secretary-General Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋).

After about two hours of discussion, Su held a news conference at about 10pm and announced that a consensus had been reached on two points.

First, the DPP will fully support the six reforms pledged by the president during his National Day speech and the legislative caucus will propose concrete reforms with the administrative departments of the Executive Yuan. Second, the legislative caucus will establish a negotiation and communication mechanism to help carry out reforms, according to Su.

"Today's consensus is that the DPP will stick to reforms. And reforms will not influence consolidation. Our consolidation is for the sake of reforms," Su said on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, party officials also discussed the controversial new DPP movement, which has ignited internal feuds between the party's New Tide faction and other factions. Officials agreed that the factions should call a truce and never bring up the term "the new DPP movement" again.

Additionally, the airing of criticisms or rumors through the press is also prohibited, Su said.

Su added that he supported the spirit of the new DPP movement, but the title seemed inappropriate.

"There is no problem of the new DPP or the old DPP. There is only a problem of reforming or not." Su said. "We will not allow internal attacks among factions after this."

Other participants voiced similar views, saying that little communication had occurred before the movement had been proposed, and that its advocates had offered few practical measures for its implementation, which only hurt the DPP's image and unity.

In the face of criticism from Su and other party members, Tuan, one of the movement's advocates and also the convener of the New Tide faction, did not respond directly to it, saying only that Su's statement was the basis for any questions about the new DPP movement.
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