President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday accused PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) of repeatedly asking him for key government positions and demanded Soong provide details of their meetings since May 2000, when Chen took power.
The comments come amid an increasingly intense war of words between the chairmen of the main political parties ahead of local elections on Dec. 7.
Chen sparked the latest round of attacks when he said over the weekend that Soong had once asked to serve as the leading vice chairman at the Economic Development Advisory Conference (EDAC), which was held in August last year to discuss ways of reviving the economy.
Soong denied the claim, saying Chen was "a storyteller" who suffered from amnesia.
But Chen continued pressing the issue yesterday, saying Soong had met him several times in secret.
"Soong should explain clearly to the public, especially to KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
Chen yesterday spoke of the three times he and Soong had met that had already been reported.
He said the first time was in October 2000, when he met Soong at the Taipei Guest House.
The second time was in Yangmingshan in July last year, before the EDAC, when Chen said Soong sought the position of the council's leading vice chairman.
The third time, Chen said, was in August last year, when the two leaders met in an unarranged encounter on the street.
The president said he had not wanted to disclose the contents of their meetings because they were private meetings.
"As long as Soong can keep it private, I will do the same," he said.
The meeting in Yangmingshan was kept secret until several months later, when Soong suggested that he had met with Chen. But the president said he had forgotten what they had talked about when questioned by the media.
Chen said he didn't mind Soong accusing him of being forgetful, but he hoped Soong, if he is not forgetful, would provide detailed information on all of their meetings -- including the ones unknown to Lien -- since Chen was inaugurated.
PFP spokesman Hsieh Kung-ping (
Chen also came under attack yesterday from Lien, who criticized the president for taking to the streets with DPP members.
Two weeks ago Chen led members of the DPP on a march to campaign for Lee and the DPP's city councilor candidates. Chen will again stump for Lee on Saturday.
Lien said it was not proper for a president to take to the streets and that this would not work as an election tactic anyway.
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