The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday said that it welcomes a petition by former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to become a party member.
The DPP welcomes all those who support President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) views and the party’s values, party spokesman Chou Chiang-chieh (周江杰) said.
Separately, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday dismissed media reports that Chen wants to join the DPP in a bid to become the next head of the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
Photo courtesy of Momo TV via CNA
Media reports said that Chen’s petition late last year to join the party under Tsai’s sponsorship would give the DPP more leeway to appoint a new CECC head or have a fresh face run for Taipei mayor.
There are no plans to swap out Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) as head of the CECC, Su said, adding that DPP membership is not a prerequisite for leading the center.
Chou said that Chen Chien-jen, when serving as vice president, fully supported Tsai’s efforts to push through pension reforms and other policies on the DPP’s platform.
He also provided the government much-needed support and assistance, drawing on his experience as a public health expert, Chou added.
Chou would not comment on who the DPP’s candidate for Taipei mayor might be, saying only that the party, having performed well in the central and local governments, would name the best possible candidate for the local elections at the end of this year.
Commenting on the possibility of Chen Chien-jen running for Taipei mayor on the DPP ticket, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), widely seen as the KMT’s candidate for the position, said only that it was a good thing that so many people wished to offer themselves to serve as mayor of the capital.
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