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Hsieh heeds DPP, agrees to serve as chairman until May

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday withdrew his resignation, which he tendered earlier this week following his defeat in last Saturday's presidential election, agreeing to retain the post until a new chairman is elected in May.

Hsieh yesterday said that he would not run for the chairmanship and wished to hand over the position to a "reformer" and not to a person backed by a single faction of the party.

Hsieh called a press conference yesterday afternoon in response to a request from the DPP's Central Executive Committee on Thursday asking him to remain at his post until May 25, when the new chairman is elected.

"I didn't agree to stay because I wanted to keep the position or help my aides find their positions," he told the press conference. "My motivation is not complicated at all. It's simply because I don't want to see the party fail to get itself together."

The days between now and May 25 will be "torture," Hsieh said, but added that he would stay to "shoulder the burden" of rebuilding the party's "morale and order."

"I hope that party members will be able to reach a consensus on how to reform the party and will draw up a timetable for party reform during these 60 days," Hsieh said.

Hsieh said he would leave the position earlier if a chairman is elected before May 25.

Meanwhile, at a separate setting yesterday, Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄), who is a member of the DPP's Central Executive Committee, dismissed media speculation that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Hsieh had a falling out after the presidential election.

"Some people are saying that the relationship between Chen and Hsieh has become strained, but I believe this is untrue," Chang said.

Chang made the remarks in response to reporters' questions about reports yesterday in several Chinese-language newspapers, including the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister newspaper), that only those committee members who were close to Hsieh were enthusiastic about attending the meeting on Thursday to discuss whether to ask Hsieh to stay on as chairman.

The Liberty Times reported that the meeting, which was scheduled for 4pm, was delayed until 6:20pm because less than half of the 32 members arrived on time.

The Chinese-language China Times reported that the low attendance was because of a dispute between Chen and Hsieh.

Chang, who did not participate in the meeting, said yesterday that he could not attend because of a meeting with the military in the Presidential Office.
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