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Presidential election 2008: 1 day to go: Lee backs Frank Hsieh's presidential credentials

Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) yesterday threw his weight behind Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), ending months of speculation on whom he would endorse.

"Having observed the two candidates over the months ... I have decided to give my vote to Mr Frank Hsieh," Lee told a news conference. "As for what the election result will be, I respect the choice of the Taiwanese people."

He said two factors had informed his decision: the need for checks and balances within a democracy, and the qualifications required of a national leader.

The legislature had been behaving like "a horse running out of control" since the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) won an absolute majority in January's elections, Lee said, adding that the situation would worsen if the KMT won the presidential election.

"Without checks and balances, Taiwan's democracy will regress, leading to frustration and disaster. It's really a great concern," Lee said.

Lee listed five qualifications required of a national leader: firm, consistent adherence to core values; devout religious beliefs; honesty and an open-minded world view; and love for one's country.

"Of the five, the most important is love for one's country," Lee said.

A devout Christian, Lee said he always prayed to God for advice. When he prayed with his wife yesterday morning, Lee said God told them to read "The Parable of the Two Sons" in the Book of Matthew Chapter 21, from Verse 28.

Lee said it was important to vote for the candidate who best suited Taiwan -- someone who could help the country reach out to the world.

Later yesterday, Hsieh thanked Lee for his support and said he shared the former president's concerns.

"I know he has great expectations for the nation's leader," Hsieh said. "I appreciate his support and I promise to do my best if elected."

He said voters who care about the checks and balances and the country's hard-earned democracy would make the same decision as Lee.

"We cannot afford to see see our democracy unbalanced and the system of checks and balances destroyed overnight," Hsieh said.

If KMT candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is elected president, Hsieh said, no one could restrain the legislature -- in which the KMT holds a comfortable three-quarters majority.

The public cannot depend on the goodwill of KMT legislators and it would be impractical to expect the legislators to restrain themselves, he said.

Hsieh spokesman Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) said Lee had made a vital decision at a key moment.

When asked to comment yesterday, KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) said the party respected Lee's decision.

Honorary Academia Sinica president Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲), meanwhile, endorsed Hsieh in an interview with Formosa TV broadcast on Wednesday night.

Lee said he was concerned by Ma's "lack of insistence" on universal values and that Ma often vacillates on policy and issues.

Yesterday, seven members of the Academia Sinica wrote an open letter to the public, urging them to preserve the checks and balances in Taiwan's democracy by supporting Hsieh.

They also urged the public to support the two referendums on UN membership and resist the threat posed by China.

The DPP has proposed joining the UN using the name "Taiwan," while the KMT has suggested "rejoining" the world body using the country's official name -- the Republic of China (ROC) -- or any other "practical" title that would uphold the country's dignity.

Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan and Mo Yan-chih
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