Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday denied that he was planning to run in the 2012 presidential election.
In a statement issued by his office, Chen said the media had misinterpreted remarks he made in an interview with a radio station in southern Taiwan the previous day.
In response to a caller’s suggestion on the radio show that he ought to run in the 2012 presidential election, Chen said that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was already trying to hunt him down after he stepped down as president, so “what would happen if I announced today that I will challenge him in the 2012 presidential election?”
Chen then added: “Don’t set me up if you really love me.”
The remarks were interpreted by some local media outlets, including the Chinese-language United Daily News and Apple Daily, as a hint that Chen would run again in the 2012 election.
Chen’s office dismissed the possibility yesterday.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) told a press conference yesterday that Chen never said during the interview that he would run in the 2012 election.
DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has made it clear that there would be no more political heroes in the party, and that it would be up to party members to decide who will represent the DPP in the presidential race, Lai said.
DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said Chen was merely making a sarcastic remark in response to Ma’s efforts to “hunt him down.”
When asked for comment yesterday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators dismissed the possibility of Chen running for president again.
“The KMT has nothing to be afraid of [if Chen were to run for president again],” KMT Legislator Tsai Chin-lung (蔡錦隆) said. “Taiwanese people are smart. It would be impossible [for Chen to be re-elected].”
KMT Legislator Shuai Hua-ming (帥化民) said Chen was trying to call on his supporters to help him fight charges of money-laundering.
Additional reporting by Flora Wang
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