Sat, Nov 13, 1999 page1

• Soong's choice faces the press The

  ELECTION REPORT The running mate says he supports the `New Taiwanese' concept and wants to help build non-partisan and cross-ethnic government

  • By Lin Chieh-yu / STAFF REPORTER
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  After admitting yesterday he was once an advisor to DPP candidate Chen Shui-bian (3?糮?, Chang Chao-hsiung (張昭雄) -- the running mate of KMT maverick presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜) -- said he was neither a pawn of Soong nor a betrayer of the DPP.

  "I support Soong because we have the same view of Taiwan's future," said Chang, "We both agree with President Lee Teng-hui's (李登輝) `New Taiwanese' slogan."

  "I hope that we [he and Soong] have the opportunity to meet Lee and if we win the presidential election next March, it could prove that people have accepted Soong's platform, which is to build a new government which is non-partisan and cross ethnic," Chang said.

  The surgeon and administrator began his first day of politics yesterday, doing interviews with the media and expressing confidence that his experience and skills were relevant and of benefit.

  Chang stressed that he still appreciated Chen as an outstanding Taiwanese and also praised President Lee.

  Chang's father-in-law, Lee Chi-ying (李枝盈), who is 83-years-old and a close friend of President Lee, said yesterday that he did not know of Chang's decision until he saw the news on television.

  "I think he was afraid of being opposed by us," Lee said. His wife said they had both campaigned for Chen Shui-bian in the last decade.

  "We may help our son-in-law owing to family ties, yet I will persist in voting secretly with my original decision," said Lee.

  Meanwhile, Soong said he hoped that Chang could take responsibility for social welfare policy and lead a team that would write Soong's key China policy.

  "Chang is a professional and has dedicated himself to the science and technology fields, he is also good at administration. Moreover, he devoted his life to being a doctor, which should inform people of our principles, which are of crossing party lines and are inclusive of all ethnic groups in Taiwan," Soong said.

  "These abilities of Chang's are necessary for him to be an excellent politician."

  Soong campaign staff were satisfied with the result of a public poll by a TV company, after Chang was announced as Soong's running mate, and revealed Soong led in the poll and his support rate was increasing.

  But DPP leaders said Chang was not representative of all medical people and was unlikely to attract many more voter groups to Soong.

  Chen Chi-mai (3祠靾?/CHINESE>), a senior DPP figure, said that Chang could make up for what Soong lacks in terms of his image to voters.

  "It is a fact that Soong is from the mainland but Chang is Taiwanese. Chang is from a prominent family from southern Taiwan, while Soong lives in northern Taiwan," Chen said.

  But Chen added: "After campaigning for a while Chang will face many problems in cooperating with Soong."

  A date for Chen Shui-bian to publicize his running mate has not been fixed, but his campaign staff members confirmed that Taoyuan County commissioner Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) was still on top of the list for running mate.
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