The DPP's Taipei mayoral candidate, Lee Ying-yuan (李應元), yesterday demanded that the city's incumbent mayor, the KMT's Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), state his position on whether or not he would run for the 2004 presidential election.
"Ma should make it clear to Taipei residents whether he wants to be the mayor of Taipei or the president," said Lee. "He should not use Taipei City's governance as his own political bargaining chip [for any future presidential campaign.]"
Lee made the remark yesterday when he was approached by press to comment on rumors, reported in the Chinese-language media, that the KMT hopes that Ma will be available to stand as the party's alternative presidential candidate in 2004, in the event that their preferred choice for a joint ticket -- KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
"Being a political star purposefully cultivated by the KMT for nearly 20-something years, Ma shoulders an expectation [from his party] to run for president someday."
"And it is because of such expectations that Ma has not been taking his job of governing Taipei City seriously," Lee said.
For this reason Ma must make his position clear to Taipei residents so that they don't become pawns of his bid for the presidency, Lee said.
Responding to Lee's demand for clarification, Ma yesterday stressed that he has been constant in running for the Taipei City mayoralty.
"I have no plan to run for president [in the 2004 presidential election,]" said Ma, adding that he is unaware of any plan by the KMT to let him run for president in 2004.
Meanwhile, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday criticized Ma's proposal to use Sung-shan Domestic Airport as a base for direct cross-strait flights, saying that such a move would seriously jeopardize Taiwan's national security.
Chen said that both Minister of National Defense Tang Yao-ming (
"In respect for the professional advice given by the chiefs of both these two organizations, I am 100 percent against the use of Sungshan Airport as a base for cross-strait direct flights," Chen said in his capacity as the DPP's chairman at the party's Central Standing Committee yesterday.
"Besides," added Chen, "Ma should attend to issues regarding the city's governance that concerns him as a mayor, this excludes the issue of direct cross-strait flights, because that is in the hands of the central government."
In addition, Chen referred to a campaign pledge Ma made four years ago, when he proposed to have the airport moved.
"I don't understand why Ma has now changed his mind," Chen said. "Is it because now that Lee is proposing such a plan [to move the airport] is Ma just opposing it for the sake of opposition?"
Chen endorsed Lee's plan to move the Sungshan Domestic Airport to near the CKS International Airport in Taoyuan.
He said that such a move would not only free those who currently live around the Sungshan airport from noise pollution, but would also offer more convenience for passengers who wish to make connecting flights between the two airports.
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