The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) announced yesterday that it will name its presidential candidate for next year's race on May 30 after its Central Standing Committee passed a motion to bring its presidential and legislative primaries forward to next month.
The motion, which advances the party's timetable by one month, was proposed by DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun.
As a result, the party's presidential hopefuls will have to register between March 5 and March 9.
Thereafter, party figures will mediate between the interested candidates.
President Chen Shui-bian (
KEY DATES
DPP members who wish to take part in the legislative primary must register between March 12 and March 16, the party said.
Party members will vote on both presidential and legislative hopefuls on May 6, after which public polls will be held.
Under the DPP's system, the party member vote counts for 30 percent of a would-be candidate's "score," while the public poll counts for 70 percent.
The presidential hopeful who receives the highest approval rating will be announced as the party's candidate for next year's presidential election on May 30.
Legislative nominees will be announced on June 20.
Yu said after the committee meeting that the party had advanced its timetable to meet public expectation.
NO LINK TO MA
Yu denied the advancement of the schedule was a result of former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Ma Ying-jeou's (
When asked whether it was time for him to announce his presidential bid, Yu refused to comment.
LU'S INTENTIONS
In related news, the president teased Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) at a lunar-year-end gathering with Presidential Office reporters yesterday by saying that she would make an important announcement during the question-and-answer session.
Lu responded by saying that she had never said she would run for the presidency and had not considered the idea.
Chen said the public would find out one way or the other next month.
"The saying goes that even an ugly daughter-in-law must eventually meet her parents-in-law, so that must be doubly true for a beautiful one," he said, hinting that Lu would run.
LEADERS IN SKIRTS
In reference to a remark by former presidential adviser Koo Kwang-ming (
She cited as Chen as an example, noting that the president had donned a skirt during a state visit to Fiji back in 2005.
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