The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday attempted to defuse reports of divisions in southern Taiwan amid rumors that two officials who lost in the primaries could run as independents in the year-end elections.
DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) met with Tainan Mayor Hsu Tain-tsair (許添財) and Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) on Tuesday evening, seeking assurances that they would not quit the party and split the vote in November.
“After two hour-long meetings, I don’t think we will be seeing them running as independents or engaging in other moves that would be opposed by DPP supporters down south,” DPP spokesperson Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said.
Rumors that Hsu and Yang could run as independents came after several media reports that the pair were unhappy with the results of the DPP primaries, the results of which were announced last month.
Hsu lost a closely fought match for the Greater Tainan race against DPP Legislator William Lai (賴清德), winning 32.6 percent to Lai’s 44.3 percent, while Yang lost the chance to run for mayor of Greater Kaohsiung to Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊), taking only 41 percent to her 59 percent.
While Yang has denied rumors of a pan-green split, he also said on Monday that he still needed time to “heal the pain” from the primaries.
He did not say if he would be willing to campaign for Chen in Kaohsiung County, where he still holds significant sway.
Tsai Chi-chang said that Hsu has denied he would run as an independent, telling Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday that he would campaign for Lai if the DPP chairperson asked him.
“It’s evident that he would not be willing to stump for William Lai if he was already prepared to run as an independent,” Tsai Chi-chang said.
However, Hsu told reporters that he needed some peace and did not respond when asked if he was prepared to campaign for Lai.
“I told [Tsai Ing-wen] that I needed some [time off] — something that she understood,” Hsu said.
Nevertheless, Tsai Chi-chang said the DPP “had confidence” that everything would be worked out ahead of the elections.
“The DPP has complete confidence that our [winning and losing] candidates will come together in unity and not let our supporters down,” he said.”
In related news, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) yesterday promised its support for all five of the DPP’s mayoral candidates in the November elections for Taipei and the to-be-formed municipalities of Sinbei City, Greater Tainan, Greater Taichung and Greater Kaohsiung.
Speaking at an election event for TSU Kaohsiung City councilor candidates, TSU Chairperson Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝) said because the party did not have any mayoral candidates, its members should support the DPP’s.
The elections will be held on Nov. 27. They are considered an important indicator for the 2012 presidential elections.
The new mayors will take office on Dec. 25.
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