Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) said yesterday she had no intention of running in December’s special municipality elections, while welcoming former premier Su Tseng-chang’s (蘇貞昌) bid to join the Taipei mayoral race.
“I served as vice president for eight years, and I don’t have any intention of participating in local elections again,” Lu said while attending a National Alliance of Taiwan Women’s Associations event.
Lu said the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) should prioritize candidates’ capabilities during the nomination process, adding that any hopefuls should respect the DPP’s nomination mechanism.
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
Su announced on Wednesday he would run for Taipei mayor, one day after meeting DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to discuss the election.
Addressing the issue of gender equality in politics, Lu lauded Tsai for leading the party to several election victories and boosting the party’s momentum, urging the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to step up its own efforts to cultivate female politicians.
“As a 100-year-old party, the KMT did not have any female politicians until last year when Chiayi Mayor Huang Ming-hui (黃敏惠) was elected. The KMT should look up to the DPP for promoting female politicians,” she said.
She said she expected society to treat women with respect, and called on women to put greater effort into demonstrating their capabilities in all fields.
In related news, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) brushed off Su’s criticism yesterday and expressed confidence in his chances of beating Su in Taipei.
Su on Thursday condemned Hau for promoting the proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China and urged him to focus on municipal issues.
Hau yesterday reiterated that Taipei and the country would reap economic benefits from an ECFA, and said Su should give up the DPP’s conservative cross-strait policy if he intends to serve Taipei residents.
Meanwhile, Su yesterday called for party unity ahead of December’s elections.
“The KMT has huge assets, while the DPP has few resources — less money and personnel. Meanwhile, the DPP has lost elections in the past because of splits within the party,” Su said during an interview with Happy Radio.
“I am not afraid, no matter how much my rivals smear me during a campaign. But being stabbed in the back is like being stabbed through the heart,” he said.
Several media reports yesterday alleged Su was forming an alliance within the party by supporting former premier Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃) or former DPP caucus whip Chen Chin-jun (陳景峻) to represent the DPP in Sinbei City — the upgraded Taipei County — and that the alliance is to prevent former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) from entering the Sinbei City race.
“I will not intervene in the party’s nomination process for Sinbei City, and I will not form a so-called alliance to bar anyone else from taking part. The most important for the party is unity,” he said.
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