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Yu Shyi-kun files DPP race candidacy

Former Presidential Office secretary-general Yu Shyi-kun and his wife, Yang Bao-yu, present his registration form and deposit for the Democratic Progressive Party chairmanship election. PHOTO: SUNG CHIH-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Former secretary-general of the Presidential Office Yu Shyi-kun and his wife, Yang Bao-yu (楊寶玉), went to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters yesterday morning to register for Yu's bid for the chairmanship.

"I urge all the DPP's factions not to weigh in on the voting and give party members room to independently choose their new leader," Yu said after he registered his candidacy by submitting his application forms and paying a NT$1.5 million (US$45,000) deposit.

He declined to respond to remarks made by former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) in an open letter yesterday, but said that no one is qualified to talk about 2008 presidential elections at this point.

OPEN LETTER

In his open letter to Yu, Lin urged him not to seek the DPP's top post.

According to the full text of the letter run by the Central News Agency, Lin said he objected to Yu's running because it would mislead the public into thinking that Yu's candidacy was arranged by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and that Chen would control the DPP through Yu.

"It is high time for the DPP to reform itself since it faced an election setback. Such a personnel arrangement is disappointing and will drag declining morale to its lowest point," Lin said.

Lin said that Yu had held several crucial government posts over the past five years yet he did not turn in as good a performance in those jobs as had been expected.

In his letter Lin also said that Yu should bear the responsibility for the Dec. 3 election losses.

Lin said that he regretted that Yu did not make a deep repentance for the defeat but chose instead to run for another post.

Such a move might be good for Yu's political career but harmful to the future of both the DPP and Taiwan, he said.

Lin urged Chen to stop Yu from seeking the chairmanship before the public begins to think that all major DPP members simply desire power and compete for every important vacancy.

WELFARE ALLIANCE

In related news, the DPP's Welfare Alliance yesterday came out in support of DPP Legislator Chai Trong-rong's (蔡同榮) bid for the chairmanship.

Alliance chief Chiu Chuei-chen (邱垂貞) said that the 28 members of the faction's decision-making body unanimously agreed yesterday to support Chai's election bid.

The faction has more than 60 members, including 11 lawmakers.

As Chai has been pushing for the dissolution of party factions, Chiu said the Welfare Alliance faction would be dissolved if Chai was elected chairman.

As for Lin's call that those who have served as president, vice president, premier or party chairman should not run for the chairmanship, DPP Legislator Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) said the the alliance respects Lin's freedom of speech but it thinks that every member has the right to run.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING

Hsu, however, stressed that Lin's comments in his open letter were thought-provoking. He also said he believes party members would make the right choice.

Another faction member, Legislator Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄), who is also chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation, endorsed Lin's comments.

Chang said the next DPP chairperson should not think about entering any election over the next three years, including the 2008 presidential poll.

Chang, who has also served as premier and as DPP chairman, said he would like to see the next chairperson concentrate on stabilizing the party instead of using the party job to consolidate his or her own political power.

JUSTICE ALLIANCE

The party's Justice Alliance, of which President Chen is a founding member, said yesterday that it would not support any particular candidate in the election.

The faction met yesterday and drafted a resolution calling on faction members to refrain from interfering in the election.

They also urged candidates to appeal to grassroots opinion, avoid factional battles, push for party reform and follow the rules for clean governance.
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