Mon, Mar 12, 2007 page3

• DPP caucus calls for party unity

  • By Flora Wang, Ko Shu-ling and Shih Hsiu-chuan / STAFF REPORTERS
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  Following President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) unsuccessful efforts to negotiate between the four Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential hopefuls on Friday night, the party caucus called for unity yesterday in the run up to next year's presidential election.

  DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) urged party members and supporters to stay united.

  "Negotiation [between the four] is necessary and must continue," he said at a press conference.

  

  Premier Su Tseng-chang makes the thumbs-up sign yesterday while praising the contribution made to Taiwan's society by doctors of traditional Chinese medicine at a gathering of the National Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctors at Taiwan University.

  PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

  Calling the wrangling between the four -- DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) -- "presidential primary syndrome," Ker said the focus of the DPP's primary should be ensuring victory.

  "If DPP does not win next year's election, can the four bigwigs remain four bigwigs? They will probably become the four `bandits,'" he said.

  "We don't want any member to take sides once the primary begins," he said. "We are confident that the negotiations will work out and we are looking forward to a good result."

  The call for unity came after several reports yesterday said the four failed to reach an agreement during a Friday meeting with Chen.

  Yu insisted on choosing the candidates via a primary while the other three preferred negotiation.

  "Our policies are all different so there are four voices. Each one of them is valuable," Yu said on Friday. "I insisted that we should select the best candidate via a primary."

  In a ceremony to establish a supporters' group in Ilan County yesterday, Yu once again urged the others to "explain clearly where they are taking Taiwan."

  Caucus whip Wang Sing-nan (王幸男), meanwhile, said the caucus was worried there would be more division.

  "The division between the four heavyweights is definitely not a plus in the DPP's pursuit of the presidency in 2008," he said, urging the president to quicken his coordination efforts instead of "making more comments to the press."

  Ker said once the coordination was wrapped up, there would be no more controversy such as that over the party's acting chairmanship.

  Yu's appointment of DPP Legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) as acting chairman while he is preparing for the presidential primary aroused discontent within the party on Friday as several members criticized his failure to first seek the consent of ranking party officials.

  Ker also denied that he, a member of the Central Standing Committee, would recommend that Presidential Office Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) compete with Chai for the position in Wednesday's meeting.

  "Focusing on trivial problems will not help resolve the bigger problem of [party disunity]," he said.

  Wang, however, said he hoped the acting chairman could be chosen using the party's democratic procedure so that any possible disputes between different camps could be avoided.

  "We need to choose an acting chairman who has the ability to coordinate between legislative candidates," Wang said, adding that they were worried that the infighting would get worse next week, when registration for legislative candidates begins.

  Responding to Yu's opinion that unsuccessful candidates should not leave the party to run as an independent, and should campaign for the chosen candidate, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said he agreed.

  "That's what we should do," Su said.

  Su, who had disapproved of Yu's appointment of Chai, yesterday softened his tone.

  Su said he believed the controversy would work itself out if the party could resolve the dispute with discussions.
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