Wu confirms meetings with Lee, party heads

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) yesterday confirmed that he had met with former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and leaders of smaller political parties last week to discuss the political landscape following the legislative elections.

Wu said he visited New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明), People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) and Farmer's Party Chairman Hsiao Han-chun (蕭漢俊) to exchange views in a series of private meetings.

"I try to keep a low profile. I don't often discuss meetings with the media ... I was listening to Lee's views on the current political situation," Wu said yesterday while attending a lunch party with military veterans in Taipei.

Wu, who served as secretary-general to the president during Lee's administration, declined to comment further on his meeting with the former president, but denied that he had served as a messenger for KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).

Ma yesterday said he currently had no plans to visit Lee, and would not ask anyone to visit Lee on his behalf.

Wu revealed his private meetings with Lee and the other party leaders in the wake of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) visits to the same leaders last week. Hsieh was seeking their support in the build-up to the presidential election.

KMT Spokesman Chen Shu-rong (陳淑容) said Wu discussed the result of the legislative elections with Lee during the one-hour meeting, but did not touch upon the issue of the March presidential election.

Wu said it was important for the KMT to attract support from other parties before the presidential election.

Meanwhile, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said yesterday that he had also met with Lee prior to the Jan. 12 legislative elections to discuss national development.

Wang said he and the former president exchanged ideas regarding whom Lee would support in the presidential race.

When asked if Wu's meeting with Lee meant relations between the KMT and the TSU had improved, Wang said "anything is possible."

Additional reporting by Flora Wang