Print

Mail

wiki links

Chang urges old guard to make way for new DPP

Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) yesterday urged senior party members to take a back seat in the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) chairmanship election scheduled for May 18.

“I hope that senior party members will hand over power to the younger generation. Letting the young generation lead the party is a step in the right direction in terms of party reform,” the 70-year-old outgoing premier said.

DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) tendered his resignation following his defeat in the March 22 presidential election, but later agreed to stay on until a new chairman is elected next month.

Registration for the DPP chairmanship candidacy will run from tomorrow until Friday, and the 73-year-old DPP lawmaker Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮), known as one of the old-school members of the party, is the only one who has publicized his interest in running for the chairmanship.

Former DPP lawmaker Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) has expressed his disapproval of Chai’s bid, saying that “Chai is exactly one of the things that needs to be reformed.”

Tuan said Chai advocated excluding pan-blue supporters from polling in DPP’s legislative and presidential primaries last year and that he had masterminded a Formosa TV political show. The show featured cliques attacking their competitors during the party primaries, which Tuan said caused divisions within the party, which in turn led to failure in the elections.

Examination Yuan President Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文), 70, was inclined to serve as chairman on condition that the party put him in the position without objection.

Meanwhile, DPP Legislator Su Cheng-ching (蘇震清) said yesterday that his uncle, Council of Agriculture Chairman Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), was disposed to run for chairmanship.

“[Su Jia-chyuan] didn’t rule out the possibility [of serving as chairman] and he will solicit the opinion of party members,” Su Cheng-ching said. “But he hopes the party will decide its new leader through coordination rather than an election to avoid further friction.”
This story has been viewed 1320 times.