TSU unveils legislator-at-large candidates

The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) yesterday unveiled its candidates for legislator-at-large seats in January's legislative elections, with former president Lee Teng-hui's daughter Annie Lee (李安妮) in last place on the list.

TSU Chairman Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝) said he estimated his party would need to capture between 10 percent and 15 percent of the total vote to be allocated four to six legislator-at-large seats.

Among the 113 legislative seats, voters will select 79 district legislators, while 34 legislator-at-large seats are available, to be allocated in proportion with the total votes each party receives.

In order to allow each member to participate, Huang said his party would let one legislator-at-large serve half of the four-year term, then replace them with the next person in line.

Huang is among his party's 15 candidates who registered at the Central Election Commission yesterday afternoon. Registration for legislative candidates opened on Friday and will close today.

TSU Legislator Lo Chih-ming (羅志明), who is placed eighth on the list, yesterday announced he would drop out of the district legislator race.

Other candidates include Jackie Chiang (江偉君), representing the physically challenged, Chang Chin-sheng (張金生), representing Aborigines, and former TSU legislator Chien Lin Whei-jun (錢林慧君).

Lee, who is placed last on the list, said the TSU's legislator-at-large nominations highlight its new party line, which is to take care of the disadvantaged.

She said she felt obliged to let other candidates representing the underprivileged be placed above her.

Lee said it would be a lie to say all the candidates had accepted the order. It was also an exaggeration for Huang to say that her father had "donated" her to the country, she said.

"The reason that I am in is because I truly love Taiwan," she said.

In related news, Jou Yi-cheng (周奕成), founder of the Third Society Party, yesterday decided to contest the legislative elections.

As one of the party's 10 district legislative candidates who registered yesterday, Jou will run in Taipei City's second district of Shihlin and Datong.

His party is scheduled to unveil its candidates for legislator-at-large today and Jou said he was confident his party would capture 5 percent of the total votes.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) 34 candidates for legislator-at-large are scheduled to register later today.

The DPP yesterday nominated DPP Legislator Chen Hsiu-hui (陳秀惠) and Ho Jin-chu (侯金助), of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), as candidates for Aboriginal seats.

Ho said he joined the DPP because he identifies with the party's Aboriginal policy. He called on Aborigines to wake up and vote for the right policies.

DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lan Shih-tsung (藍世聰) criticized the KMT for failing to nominate any Aboriginal legislator-at-large candidates, while his party named DPP Legislator Chen Ying (陳瑩).

Lan said he hoped the party's two Aboriginal candidates would help the DPP wrest the Aboriginal vote long dominated by the pan-blue camp.