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Presidential election 2008: 17 days to go: Hsieh says many share Lee's election concerns

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday said that the concerns recently expressed by former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) about the March 22 presidential election are shared by many people.

Hsieh said he respected Lee's opinions and that Lee was not the only person who is worried about Taiwan's democracy. Lee's comments reflected the thoughts of many people and should be taken seriously, he said.

Hsieh declined to comment on whether Lee's statements were an indirect endorsement of him. Hsieh said it had been a while since he last talked to the former president and that it was impossible for him to know what Lee was thinking.

Hsieh made the remarks in response to reporters' questions about Lee's interview with Japanese writer Yusuke Fukada, which were published in the April issue of a Japanese monthly.

In the magazine, Lee said that Taiwan's democracy would be set back 20 years if Hsieh lost the election. But if Hsieh manages to rouse himself and catch up with his Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rival Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), the old forces of the two parties would perish and be replaced by new blood, Lee said.

Describing the presidential election as "thought-provoking," Lee said he did not want to endorse any candidate at present because Taiwan's democracy is deeply rooted and he would support any national leader who was elected in a democratic manner.

Lee said that while Ma was widely considered to lean more toward China and away from Japan, Ma's relationship with Bei-jing was actually not as deep as the public imagined and his relationship with Washington was better than the general perception.

On the referendums on UN membership, Lee said what Taiwan needs right now is not to declare independence or join the UN using the name "Taiwan," but to protect the country that has been built by the people of Taiwan and to make sure it continues to exist.

Ma, meanwhile, brushed off Lee's remarks yesterday and said that he would continue to promote the development of democracy in Taiwan if elected.

Ma further praised Lee for pushing for the development of democracy, stabilizing cross-strait relations and maintaining economic growth during his 12-year term, adding that the KMT did not control everything during Lee's term even though the party held a majority.

"Lee played a vital role in promoting the country's democracy during his 12-year term ? I will follow his example and seek to achieve such goals if elected," he said yesterday when approached for comment after an event in Taipei.

The DPP's legislative caucus yesterday called on Lee to elaborate on his comments and clarify them, saying "a vote for Hsieh" would mean "a vote for national security, balanced party politics and deepening democracy."

DPP caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) said that Lee's comments meant that if Ma wins the presidential election, the KMT would dominate the legislative and executive branches, which would have a detrimental effect on Taiwan's democracy.

Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih and CNA
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