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President denies endorsing any particular candidate

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday said that he does not endorse any particular presidential hopeful despite mounting speculation that he supports Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌).

While the media has focused on whether Chen will make his preference known in an interview with a talk show tonight, Chen yesterday told the public to rest assured that he would not publicly endorse anyone.

"I only endorse Taiwan," he said. "I'm confident that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will nominate the presidential and vice presidential candidates who have the best chance of winning next year's presidential election and who will ensure the country's sovereignty, safety and the people's welfare."

Chen made the remarks while visiting a temple in Hsinchu City yesterday morning.

Last night, the DPP's four presidential aspirants used the opportunity presented by the party's third and final televised campaign debate to illustrate their individual approaches to Taiwan's sovereignty and future.

The two-hour debate was held in Kaohsiung, where Chen was in the audience.

Former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) began the debate by defining the presidential election as an end to the nation's "democratic civil war" between the pan-blue and pan-green camps.

He said that the election would be a "decisive battle" between those who favor unification with China and those who support maintenance of the "independent status quo."

"Although I also accept the current Constitution, the difference between [Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate] Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and me is that I believe the `one China' framework in the Constitution should be abolished."

This remark was not well received by Hsieh's rivals Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun.

Citing the DPP's "Resolutions on Taiwan's Future," issued in 1999, Su said that he disagreed "completely" with Hsieh about the constitutional "one China" framework, because Beijing was likely to use it to blur the distinction between Taiwan and China.

Yu said Hsieh's claim that a "one China" framework existed in the Constitution violated the 1999 resolutions, and that Su's advocacy of the resolutions would mean maintaining the status quo.

Instead, Yu said, he would seek to change the nation's title from Republic of China to Taiwan.

Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), the fourth participant in the debate, urged party members to vote for a candidate who could "connect Taiwan to the world."

She said that she believed the government should help make the domestic investment environment more friendly to investors and invite foreign professionals to participate in local construction projects.

A primary vote will be held on Sunday, followed by a public opinion poll between next Wednesday and Friday.
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