Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Shen Fu-hsiung (
It has been rumored that Shen will run as a candidate of the Third Social Party, a new party formed by former DPP "Young Turk" Chou Yi-cheng (
Shen said he had devoted a lot of time and effort to helping Chou establish the party, but that didn't mean that he would be a legislator-at-large candidate for the party.
"The contribution that a lawmaker of a small party, which holds only one or two legislative seats, can make to the country is trivial," Shen said.
But Shen said he would continue to help the Third Social Party in the future to convey his vision of cross-strait relations, public policies and blind spots in the two-party duopoly by exchanging his ideas with young students.
Shen said his decision to quit the DPP was not timed to coincide with the decision by the party's Central Standing Committee to recommend President Chen Shui-bian (
Shen was accused of picking the timing to humiliate the DPP when the party was trying to create an image of unity following the row over its "normal country" resolution.
"It was just a coincidence," Shen said.
Shen said he happened to meet Lee Cheng-yee (
Former DPP legislator Lin Wei-chou (
Lin quit the DPP in March last year expressing his "disappointment" over the party's indifference to "issues that deserve genuine attention."
Lin yesterday said that he had joined the Third Social Party because he hoped the country would have a third choice in addition to the DPP and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
He also said he has lost his passion for politics.
Meanwhile, Chou said yesterday that he planned to inaugurate the party in the middle of this month and announce its nominations for legislators and legislators-at-large.
Chou, who said yesterday that he was kicked out of the DPP a few weeks ago, said that he felt morally obligated to stand in the legislative elections, but he would be the last person to join the race.
When asked about the possibility of Shen running as the party's flag bearer in the legislative polls, Chou said that it was possible but not finalized.
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