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TSU announces mayoral election candidates

Clara Chou yesterday displays her new Taiwan Solidarity Union membership card at a press conference held by the party to formally announce her nomination. PHOTO: CNA

The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) yesterday formally announced TV host Clara Chou (周玉蔻) and Legislator Lo Chih-ming (羅志明) as its candidates for the year-end Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral races respectively.

Showing off her new TSU identification card, Chou said she was happy to become a member of the party. Being a political rookie, Chou said she felt like a first-grade student and was full of excitement and trepidation.

"I know I will face many challenges and examinations throughout the election period, but I vow to be an upright candidate and to participate with pride and professionalism," Chou said.

"I will abide by journalistic standards of professionalism and won't let the voters down," she said.

Chou said it was the second time that she had become a member of a political party.

"I was forced to join the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] when I was 15 years old. But [joining the TSU] is of my own accord," she said.

As a descendant of the Chinese who emigrated to Taiwan with former KMT dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) in 1949, Chou said she would visit the Chuan-tsun (眷村), or old military residential compounds, to engage with veteran KMT members.

"I will tell them how to `stand for our land' and listen to them even if they do not agree with me," Chou said, adding that she would establish her campaign office in Taipei on Saturday.

Lo, who currently serves as the party's secretary-general, said he had lived in Kaohsiung for 36 years and understood the need of the city's residents.

"I am different from the pan-blue candidates who are political nomads and opportunists. They don't know much about Kaohsiung and just think they have a good chance of victory because of a series of local government scandals," Lo said.

"They use all manner of tricks to try and outdo each other to secure their party's nomination, including leveling false accusations against the government," he said.

Lo said that the Kaohsiung mayoral election was crucial and one the pan-green camp could not afford to lose.

"If the pan-green camp loses Kaohsiung City, defeat in the 2008 presidential election seems inevitable," Lo said.

So far, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has yet to decide on its candidate and seems to be hampered by the competition between its internal factions, Lo said.

"I would hope that the DPP would support me in the election because I am the most suitable candidate and face no pressure from political factions," Lo said.

Strongly endorsing both Chou and Lo as mayoral candidates, TSU Chairman Shu Chin-chiang (蘇進強) said former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) had confidence in them and would spare no effort when campaigning for them.
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