The usual Chinese-language media-spawned gossip abounded yesterday, as officials worked themselves into a lather denying unsourced speculation about whether the premier would be asked to resign.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Yu Shyi-kun, who has just returned from a trip to Nicaragua with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), yesterday was asked by reporters for his response to an article in the Chinese-language United Daily News (UDN).
The article alleged that, even before the Rebar Group scandal, Chen had thought of asking Premier Su Tseng-chang (
Speculation and opinion often masquerade as fact in the viciously partisan Chinese-language media. Politicians of all stripes regularly fuel the rumor-mongering by responding to even overtly spurious allegations with lengthy, detailed rationalizations of mundane political infighting.
For example, the UDN story quoted an "anonymous source from within the DPP" as saying that Chen would like to have Yu -- who served as premier between 2002 and 2005 -- take up the post again and withdraw from the DPP's presidential primary, and that Yu had agreed with the arrangement.
Yesterday, Yu flatly denied that Chen had asked him to succeed to the premiership.
"Everyone knows I worked as the premier for three years after the DPP assumed office six-and-a-half years ago. I know clearly the difficulties of being premier. I've been there; so I do not expect to become the premier again," he said when answering reporters' queries.
The article also claimed that the source said Chen's plan is to have Su, Vice President Annette Lu (
The article described the source as saying that the Rebar Group scandal had legitimized Chen's decision to ask Su to resign. The paper's anonymous source also hedged his or her bet, saying that Su would "stay until there was a better moment for him to leave" although he is "waiting for the perfect time" to step down and save face at the same time.
"This hearsay [shows] that the media's imagination is too active," Yu said.
A number of other DPP officials also dismissed the story.
DPP Deputy Secretary-General Tsai Huang-liang (
He also dismissed the claim that Yu couldn't take part in the DPP's presidential primary if he became premier. On his way to deliver a speech at the Ketagalan Institute yesterday morning, Hsieh denied any knowledge of the alleged machinations.
"I do not have enough information about this matter. [The president] will not inform me of any personnel relocation in the government nor will [he] ask my opinion. Like everybody else, I have to read the newspaper to know [what is happening]," he said.
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