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Hakka groups urge DPP to pick Yeh for vice president

"Yeh will only be a plus to the DPP. We also welcome the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] to pick a Hakka as a running mate."

-- Peter Lo, chairman of the Taiwanese Hakka Association of the World

A coalition of Hakka groups yesterday called on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to nominate former acting Kaohsiung mayor Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭) -- a Hakka -- as presidential candidate Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) running mate in next year's elections.

Peter Lo (羅能平), chairman of the Taiwanese Hakka Association of the World, said that the Hakka constituent was expected to play a significant role in next year's election and that it was time for the Hakka population to make their voices heard.

Nearly 50 Hakka groups around the world have voiced their support for the campaign, he said at a press conference in Taipei yesterday morning.

"For the sake of national development, we urge the DPP to say yes to a Hsieh-Yeh ticket," he said.

Lo said they thought the pairing would be perfect because Hsieh is a Taiwanese man and Yeh a Hakka woman.

Lo added that they were not asking the DPP to give them anything in return; rather, they were providing the party with a good talent.

"Yeh will only be a plus to the DPP. We also welcome the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] to pick a Hakka as a running mate," he said.

Chang Yeh-shen (張葉森), president of the Taiwan Hakka Society, lauded Yeh's extensive political experience and achievements, including the establishment of a Hakka television channel.

Saying that the past seven years had been one of the best times for the Hakka population, Chang added that the Hakka culture had an opportunity to be reborn under the DPP administration.

Since Chen garnered 40,000 more votes from Hakka voters in the last presidential election, Chang said the DPP should not underestimate Yeh's influence on the Hakka electorate.

Yeh, who is out of the country, was not available for comment.

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