Print

Mail

wiki links

DPP backs Chen as chief: Hsieh

The majority of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members feel that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) should take over the party's chairmanship from DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun, DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said yesterday.

Yu, indicted by prosecutors on Friday -- along with Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and National Security Council Secretary-General Mark Chen (陳唐山) -- on suspicion of misusing special allowance funds, said late on Friday he would resign.

Yu faxed a letter of resignation from Toronto, Canada, where he flew on Thursday to campaign for the party among Taiwanese expatriates. In the letter, Yu said he would keep a promise he made in March that he would resign as chairman if indicted.

Approached by reporters in Kaohsiung, Hsieh said DPP regulations allow for the president to assume the party's chairmanship if needed.

Organizing and holding a by-election at this point in time would be an unnecessary burden, given that Yu's term is almost finished, Hsieh said.

Yu was elected chairman in January, following the resignation of former chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) over the party's poor performance in local government elections on Dec. 3, 2005.

The DPP elects its chairman every four years, with the chairman's term ending at the same time as the term of the nation's president.

Although DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming on Saturday urged Chen Shui-bian to assume the chairmanship after Yu, DPP Culture and Information Department Director Super Meng (孟義超) said yesterday that some DPP district directors, representatives of the party's national congress and supporters would welcome Yu at the airport today and urge him not to resign.

In response to media inquiries, DPP caucus whip Wang Tuoh (王拓) said the party should not discuss acting chairman candidates until Yu formally announces his resignation after returning to Taiwan.

DPP Legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮), who is close to Yu, agreed with Wang's proposal when asked for comment.

Chai said the party should urge Yu to stay and should not discuss choosing an acting chairman unless Yu insists on leaving.

In a related development, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), at a separate setting yesterday, urged prosecutors to create clear standards for handling investigations into officials' special allowances.

Ma was indicted on Feb. 13 on corruption charges for wiring NT$11 million (US$330,000) from his special mayoral allowance to his private bank account during his eight years in office.

The District Court found Ma not guilty of embezzlement charges on Aug. 14, but prosecutors have decided to appeal his acquittal.
This story has been viewed 1743 times.