Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday announced that he will resign as chairman if the party's Taipei County commissioner candidate, Luo Wen-chia (羅文嘉), loses, or if the party fails to win at least 10 seats in today's local elections.
Luo yesterday also staked his political career on a vow that he has never been involved in vote-buying, of which he has been accused by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
The KMT yesterday released a video allegedly proving that Luo paid people to attend a DPP rally.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
Luo said he would withdraw from politics permanently if there turns out to be any proof for the KMT's accusations.
"The KMT attempted to use an unverified videotape to influence the elections. I vow that if I have been involved in vote-buying at NT$150 or any other amount per person, or incited anybody to hand out bribes, I will withdraw from politics forever," a sobbing Luo said.
With a solemn and grave countenance, Su made the announcement at a news conference held at the DPP headquarters yesterday morning.
PHOTO: LIU HSIN-DE, TAIPEI TIMES
"If the DPP fails in its bid to have its 10 county commissioners re-elected, or if Luo fails to win the Taipei County commissionership, then it is a grave defeat for the DPP. The opposition parties will be a lot more arrogant and China will misinterpret the results," Su said.
"Consequently Taiwan's political situation will become more chaotic than before. As the DPP chairman, I will resign from my post to assume responsibility," he said.
"For the past eight years, I have devoted all my efforts to promoting progress in Taipei County, which has happened with amazing speed," Su said.
"If Luo cannot win the election and extend local construction projects, I believe the development of Taipei County will stagnate seriously and might even disappear as a result of the rival campaign platform. I have strong feelings for and responsibility toward Taipei County," he said.
"Even if the DPP wins in other constituencies but loses Taipei County, I will step down from my chairmanship as an apology to Taipei County's residents," he said.
Su added that he would also drop out of politics if Luo has been involved in vote-buying.
"I recommend Luo to Taipei County's voters, and I am confident in him. I'm willing to take the responsibility ... I hope voters can trust their former commissioner," Su said.
When he heard Su's endorsement, Luo, who stood beside Su, burst into tears.
Luo said he was deeply touched that Su was willing to support him to such a degree, because Su is a potential presidential candidate in 2008.
"I'm 40 years old and still have a long way to go in political circles. An election is transient, but my personality is a lifetime issue," Luo said.
"I won't sacrifice my personality and dignity for temporary elections. I am willing to defend my personal integrity with my political life," he added.
BACK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD: The planned transit by the ‘Baden-Wuerttemberg’ and the ‘Frankfurt am Main’ would be the German Navy’s first passage since 2002 Two German warships are set to pass through the Taiwan Strait in the middle of this month, becoming the first German naval vessels to do so in 22 years, Der Spiegel reported on Saturday. Reuters last month reported that the warships, the frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and the replenishment ship Frankfurt am Main, were awaiting orders from Berlin to sail the Strait, prompting a rebuke to Germany from Beijing. Der Spiegel cited unspecified sources as saying Beijing would not be formally notified of the German ships’ passage to emphasize that Berlin views the trip as normal. The German Federal Ministry of Defense declined to comment. While
‘UPHOLDING PEACE’: Taiwan’s foreign minister thanked the US Congress for using a ‘creative and effective way’ to deter Chinese military aggression toward the nation The US House of Representatives on Monday passed the Taiwan Conflict Deterrence Act, aimed at deterring Chinese aggression toward Taiwan by threatening to publish information about Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials’ “illicit” financial assets if Beijing were to attack. The act would also “restrict financial services for certain immediate family of such officials,” the text of the legislation says. The bill was introduced in January last year by US representatives French Hill and Brad Sherman. After remarks from several members, it passed unanimously. “If China chooses to attack the free people of Taiwan, [the bill] requires the Treasury secretary to publish the illicit
A senior US military official yesterday warned his Chinese counterpart against Beijing’s “dangerous” moves in the South China Sea during the first talks of their kind between the commanders. Washington and Beijing remain at odds on issues from trade to the status of Taiwan and China’s increasingly assertive approach in disputed maritime regions, but they have sought to re-establish regular military-to-military talks in a bid to prevent flashpoint disputes from spinning out of control. Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, and Wu Yanan (吳亞男), head of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command, talked via videoconference. Paparo “underscored the importance
CHINA POLICY: At the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China, the two sides issued strong support for Taiwan and condemned China’s actions in the South China Sea The US and EU issued a joint statement on Wednesday supporting Taiwan’s international participation, notably omitting the “one China” policy in a departure from previous similar statements, following high-level talks on China and the Indo-Pacific region. The statement also urged China to show restraint in the Taiwan Strait. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino cochaired the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China and the sixth US-EU Indo-Pacific Consultations from Monday to Tuesday. Since the Indo-Pacific consultations were launched in 2021, references to the “one China” policy have appeared in every statement apart from the
RSS