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Wrangling continues among presidential `big four'

The wrangling among the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) presidential hopefuls continued yesterday as Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) stood by her earlier story that Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) had tried to force President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) out of office at the height of last year's anti-Chen campaign.

Lu implied in a TV interview on Tuesday night that Su had attempted to use his resignation as a threat to force Chen to step down last year when Chen was the target of a street campaign demanding his resignation.

Lu said in the interview that "someone" had forced Chen to announce that he would resign if first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) were found guilty. Wu was indicted on corruption and forgery charges in connection with Chen's alleged misuse of his "state affairs fund."

Four times

Although Chen on Wednesday denied that Su had made a covert attempt to oust him from the office, he confirmed that Su had discussed with him on four occasions the possibility of quitting his job.

Lu said yesterday remarks DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun made on Wednesday "confirmed" her story and that Chen's speech the same day "indirectly validated" what she had said.

Lu was referring to Yu's remarks on Wednesday when he told reporters that Lu's comments were "very close to the truth."

Lu said yesterday that she never named names in the TV interview and if Su thought her remarks were targeted at him, the media should ask Su why he believed that was the case.

"What I did on TV was just describing part of history and I'm sure the media were well aware that what I said was true," she said.

When asked for comments yesterday, Su, at a separate event, said: "I really appreciate [the president's] understanding, trust and endorsement."

"I have never attacked my opponents because I understand the less I talk, the greater are the chances we be able to work out a solution among the DPP's four presidential candidates," he said.

Su added that he never offered to resign.

"To be accurate, I have discussed with the president whether I should leave four times to help stabilize the political situation but he never took my suggestions into consideration," Su said.
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