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Chen dismisses media report about Su

"I think everyone [in the media] is being too imaginative. Some people may think this way, but I do not have such a plan."

President Chen Shui-bian

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday dismissed a media report that said he would ask Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) to step down before the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential primary.

"I think everyone [in the media] is being too imaginative. Some people may think this way, but I do not have such a plan," Chen said in response to press enquiries yesterday morning.

Chen was referring to a report in the Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday, which said he had decided to ask Su to step down before the DPP's presidential primary.

The report said Chen would do this in a bid to allow Su, DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun, former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) -- perceived as the DPP's four likely presidential hopefuls -- to "compete for the party nomination from the same starting point."

None of the four, however, has made it clear whether they intend to stand for nomination.

While the party has yet to finalize the date of its primary, officials have been mulling a combined legislative and presidential primary in May.

An anonymous source cited by the report said that Chen plans to choose one of Presidential Secretary-General Mark Chen (陳唐山), Secretary-General of the National Security Council Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) and former premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) as the new premier.

"This is simply speculation without any evidence," said Cabinet Spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) yesterday. "It is more important for us to work for the people at the moment."

"We have just finished the mayoral elections for Taipei and Kaohsiung. People expect us to work hard instead of discussing elections all the time," Cheng said.

Although Chen dismissed the report, some DPP legislators yesterday expressed their support for the idea of Su running for the primary without simultaneously being premier.

On the other hand, DPP Legislator Hsieh Hsin-ni (謝欣霓) said it would negatively affect the party because Su may suffer "unnecessary attacks from the opposition" in the Legislature.

DPP Legislator Lin Yu-sheng (林育生) said it would be a reasonable decision for Su to step down if he would like to compete for the primary, as well as for Yu to consider resigning his chairmanship if he wanted to join the primary. Lin did not elaborate.
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