Nobel laureate encourages Lu

Vice President Annette Lu yesterday receives Nobel Peace Prize winner Betty Williams at the Presidential Office. PHOTO: CNA

Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) was encouraged yesterday by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Betty Williams to run for the presidency next year, but Lu remained tight-lipped on the matter.

Northern Irish peace activist Williams is on her fourth visit to the country. She met with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and the vice president separately.

"I support her, whether she is going to run or not. She hasn't decided yet," Williams said, telling Lu that "your country needs you and I need you."

Lu didn't respond to Williams, but she asked Williams to analyze the pros and cons of a woman becoming the leader of Taiwan.

Both Lu and Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Yu Shyi-kun have polled lower than the other DPP presidential hopefuls, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), but Lu said she didn't care that much about polls.

Lu is the only one out of the four who hasn't yet declared her intention to run, but it is rumored that she will declare her candidacy tomorrow when she attends a Lantern Festival event in her home county of Taoyuan.

Dismissing the speculation, Lu said the activity would be a held in a splendid fashion.

"About 3000 people will attend the activity, and so will the president," Lu said.