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TSU rival wants Chen Chu to quit New Tide faction

The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) candidate for the Kaohsiung mayoral election said yesterday that if Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Chen Chu (陳菊) withdrew from the DPP's New Tide faction, then there would be room for the two parties to talk about fielding a single candidate in the election.

"If Chen is willing to withdraw from the New Tide faction and then explain her China policy to former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), there would be a chance for the TSU to work with the DPP," Lo Chi-ming (羅志明) said yesterday.

CROSS-STRAIT DIVIDE

Lo said the New Tide faction's China policy was the biggest obstacle that stood in the way of the integration and cooperation between the TSU and the DPP because the TSU was opposed to liberalizing investment in the Chinese market while the New Tide faction was in favor of it.

There were many blue-collar workers living in Kaohsiung City and they would face unemployment if the government implemented the policy proposed by the New Tide faction, Lo said.

"Chen has made her campaign platform on China policy clear and has described the continuing nature of her relationship with the New Tide faction," Lo said.

"But if Chen does not quit her membership from New Tide, there can be no cooperation between the TSU and the DPP," Lo said.

SPOKESMAN REPLIES

Chen asked former chief convener of the New Tide faction Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) to respond to Lo on her behalf.

Tuan said Chen would not respond publicly to Lo's request and would not quit the New Tide faction.

"The New Tide faction has been working on how to create a win-win situation for both Taiwan and China and how to protect the rights of numerous Taiwanese businessmen working in China," Tuan said.

"But the TSU cannot say that the New Tide faction tilts its cross-strait policy towards China," Tuan said. "We cannot accept the TSU's characterization of us in this way."

"Besides, the central government does not necessarily implement all of the New Tide's policy preferences and Chen's victory in Kaohsiung probably wont have an effect on the government's China policy," he said.

UNITY EFFORT

Tuan said that if the pan-green camp was not united in the Kaohsiung election, there would be little chance that the former labor bureau chief would win.

"Therefore, Chen is willing to meet Lo and talk about cooperation and DPP Chairman Yu Shy-kun will also keep working on negotiating with TSU leaders, including [former president] Lee and TSU Chairman Shu Ching-chiang (蘇進強)," Tuan said.
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