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Legislative elections and referendums: KMT chairman pledges to quit if DPP gets 50 seats

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) yesterday pledged to step down if the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won 50 or more seats in tomorrow's legislative elections.

If the DPP managed to realize President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) goal of winning 50 seats, the KMT will have failed in its fight against the "corrupt government," Wu said.

"If Chen achieves his goal of getting 50 seats in the legislative elections, I will accept responsibility and resign as KMT chairman," Wu told a news conference at KMT headquarters in Taipei. "I urge all pan-blue voters to consolidate their support and prevent Chen from achieving this goal."

Wu, former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday campaigned at KMT headquarters for the party's legislative candidates and urged voters to cast their ballots tomorrow.

"It would be a recognition and indulgence of the corrupt government if you don't vote. We should use the elections to teach Chen and the DPP a lesson," Lien said.

Wu also urged voters to remain calm on election day and avoid anything that could spark trouble, so that the DPP would have no excuse to halt the elections.

Joining the three other KMT heavyweights via a video conference from Taichung, KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said that the DPP was causing the economy to flounder and creating needless suffering.

He said shifting political power would improve people's lives.

In response to a report in the Chinese-language China Times that Wang would seek re-election as legislative speaker, while KMT legislators Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) were aiming for the deputy speakership, Ma said it would be "improper" to discuss the issue.

"It would be improper to discuss the issue until the elections are over," Ma said, shrugging off the report's claim that he would support Wu Den-yi's bid for deputy speaker.

Wang also declined to comment on the matter, urging party members and supporters to focus on promoting the KMT's legislative candidates.

"Who cares?" was DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) response to Wu's pledge to resign as KMT chairman if the DPP won 50 seats or more.

"He is a decimal point in history," Hsieh said. "Who cares whether he resigns?"

Hsieh said he did not think Wu's pledge would have any effect on the poll results.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY KO SHU-LING
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