Sun, Dec 19, 1999 page3

• TAIP's Cheng insists he's still in campaign

  POLITICS Independence party supporters are fuming over a suspected DPP plot to derail their candidate's bid

  • By Brian Hsu / STAFF REPORTER
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  Taiwan Independence Party (TAIP) chairman and presidential candidate Cheng Pang-chen (鄭?鎮) yesterday denied media reports that he planned to withdraw from the presidential race to support the DPP's Chen Shui-bian (3?糮?, as a group of Cheng's supporters threw eggs at the office of a DPP lawmaker who they accused of masterminding a plot to bump Cheng out of the race.

  "I would consider quitting from the race only under two conditions. First, Chen has to show us [TAIP] that he is more enthusiastic than we are about the move toward Taiwan independence and that the DPP returns to its former insistence on Taiwan independence," Cheng said.

  "Second, withdrawing from the race must be decided through a formal procedure among TAIP policymakers," he said.

  

  Chen Shui-bian, crosses paths with Chang Chao-hsiung, partner of independent presidential candidate James Soong and long-time friend of Chen, at a recent press conference.

  PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, LIBERTY TIMES

  Cheng made the remarks in response to media reports that he intended to withdraw from the presidential race to support the DPP's Chen.

  The media reports were based on Cheng's attendance at a press conference at the Legislature on Friday that was called in the name of "unifying all native Taiwanese for a victory in the presidential election." Chen was also present at the meeting.

  "It was a tough decision for me whether to attend the press conference. If I went, it might seem that I was supporting Chen. If I did not go, people might think that I either disapproved of cooperation with Chen or had already decided to quit," Cheng said.

  "I chose to go, but I insisted on saying only what I thought I should say. I didn't realize they had added a subtitle to the name of the meeting, saying it was `for the support of Chen.' Initially, the meeting carried only the title of `unifying all native Taiwanese for a victory in the presidential election,'" he said.

  "The next day when I read the newspapers, I was surprised to find most of the them reported my presence at the press conference as a declaration of my intention to quit the race and a promise to give full support to Chen," he said.

  "This is absolutely not the case. I suspect those reports were based on press releases issued by certain DPP figures who arranged the meeting between me and Chen. They expected me to announce withdrawal from the race right there and then," he said. "Such an arrangement was like preparing a red carpet for me to leave the competition arena," he added.

  To express their anger over the matter, a group of Cheng's supporters, led by senior TAIP member Liu Ming-sung (劉明松), yesterday threw eggs at the office of DPP lawmaker Trong Tsai (1/22|P榮), who they believe is the mastermind behind a plot to remove Cheng from the presidential race.

  Liu, speaking at a press conference at TAIP headquarters, said the egg throwing was meant only as a warning to Tsai to not interfere in the TAIP's campaign.

  "Tsai tried to please Chen by discouraging Cheng from competing. If he attempts to intervene in the internal affairs of the TAIP again, we will resort to more violent methods," Liu said.

  A spokesman for Tsai's office, said they would not take any legal action against Liu or others for the damage to the office.

  "We will handle the matter and other relevant issues on the basis of cooperation between our two camps. Cooperation is what we are looking for," the spokesman said.
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