As the apparent tiff between the nation's top two leaders appeared to wind down, the pan-blue camp's likeliest contender for president in 2008 again interjected himself into the controversy.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday repeated his call for the president and the vice president to maintain a harmonious relationship.
"I am not gloating over the Democratic Progressive Party's [DPP] troubles. I'm just making suggestions as an opposition leader, and a private citizen," Ma said yesterday while participating in the KMT legislative caucus' first meeting since the Dec. 3 elections.
He also said he would not rule out meeting Vice President Annette Lu (
As he highlighted the discord inside the DPP, he called on his own party to stand firm and take the initiative in putting forward beneficial policy proposals.
Meanwhile, after the recent allegations of a row between President Chen Shui-bian (
"[You] should not make a fuss over the relationship between me and the president anymore. I haven't disturbed the president for quite a while," Lu told reporters while attending a forum on high technology in Hsinchu.
Lu yesterday denied that Chen was unhappy with her, saying that she and the president had a long history and rapport.
"I hope that party associates will place a priority on solidarity, rather than paying attention to the relationship between the president and myself," Lu said.
Political commentators had a variety of positions on the recent disturbance within the DPP.
"I think Yu's resignation to run in the re-election would be in accord with our constitutional system, and I don't think it's appropriate for Lu to serve as a party chairwoman in her status as national head," said Ellen Huang (
Huang said that although it is undeniable that Lu is a woman with outstanding abilities, some of her attitudes and her style recently have been "inept."
"I suggest that Vice President Lu could be more humble when she wants to express herself, which would be closer to the public's expectations of a vice president," Huang said.
TV and radio talk show host Clara Chou (周玉蔻) said that although Lu intended to highlight her legitimacy as acting chairwoman with an image of reform, which won her some support from the public, she has damaged her image by flip-flopping on whether she would remain in the party's top post.
Huang and Chou were attending an event in support of the Taiwan Northern Society, a pro-independence think tank, for collecting donations to use toward the special arms budget, which has been blocked by the pan-blue parties in the legislature.
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