Tue, May 09, 2006 page3

• DPP's Shen urges Hsieh to clarify Taipei intentions

  BLUNT WORDS Shen Fu-hsiung, who had expressed interest in becoming the party's candidate for Taipei mayor, said the former premier should stop wasting people's time

  • By Jewel Huang / STAFF REPORTER
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  With the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) candidate for the Taipei mayoral election still a mystery, one of the only DPP members to have directly expressed interest in running for the post yesterday urged former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) to make his intentions clear.

  Hsieh is thought to be mulling running in the mayoral race.

  Former DPP legislator Shen Fu-hsiung (沈富雄), who announced he would withdraw from the DPP's primary for Taipei mayoral election last Friday, was blunt in his remarks.

  "I hope Hsieh will let everyone know whether or not he will run for the Taipei mayorship right away. He should make it clear to the DPP and stop being coy about the election," Shen said.

  Wasting time

  "Although this ambiguous attitude can garner him much media exposure, it does not benefit the DPP. Don't waste others' time and supporters' patience," he said.

  Shen said that since he had already announced he would not join the election, he would not change his mind, even if the DPP came to its senses and attempted to enlist him when Hsieh decides to abandon the election.

  "This battlefield does not belong to me any longer. It makes no sense for me to continue fighting," Shen said.

  Although Shen said that he would not look at the party's conspicuous preference for Hsieh as an injustice, he relayed comments from a conversation he said he had with DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun last Tuesday.

  "Yu told me that Hsieh said to him that he would give up the 2008 presidential election if he decided to run in the Taipei mayoral election," Shen said.

  Shen said that as such, he believed Hsieh would not join the Taipei race as he appeared to be eyeing the presidential election.

  Rejected candidate

  Meanwhile, DPP Legislator You Ching (尤清), whose application to enter the party's primary was rejected last Friday, yesterday protested the party's decision.

  The DPP had cited problems with his documents in blocking his application.

  You submitted letters to the DPP, saying that his application documents had met the party's requirements.

  You accused the party of intentionally harassing him over his participation in the primary.

  DPP Secretary-General Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), who accepted You's documents, said that the party would submit You's complaint to the central executive committee, which would review them tomorrow.

  TSU ready to campaign

  In related developments, Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Chairman Shu Chin-chiang (蘇進強) yesterday afternoon held a news conference at TSU headquarters to introduce the party's candidates for the Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral and city councilor elections.

  After the news conference, Clara Chou (周玉蔻) and TSU Legislator Lo Chih-ming (羅志明), the party's candidates for the year-end Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral races, as well as 12 city councilor candidates, together visited former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) at his residence in Taoyuan.

  Lee did not say anything to the media but took a group picture with the candidates at the front door of his house to show his support.
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