A newspaper report which claimed that the premier had promised to grant Tainan some NT$25 billion (US$750,863,493) to complete its underground railway construction had the other three DPP presidential contenders up in arms yesterday.
The report added that Su confirmed after a campaign event in Chiayi on Thursday night that he had promised to give Chiayi City "a big red envelope," but had not specified what he meant.
Vice President Annette Lu (
The trio issued joint statements last night at the party's headquarters, saying that contenders should not use public resources.
The statements also said that DPP city and county chiefs should be considered "public goods" and should not serve a specific individual, adding that they should maintain administrative impartiality during the primary.
"I have been promoting an anti-bribery campaign since 1989, but I did not expect to see open political vote-buying in the party's presidential primary," Lu said at a press conference.
"Fairness in elections has been a DPP core value since it was the opposition. We give weight to that value," Hsieh said.
"If an aspirant were competing unfairly with his or her fellow party members, it will be difficult for the public to believe he or she will run fairly with rivals from other parties in the presidential election," he added.
Those who campaign for themselves by using public resources will lose the public's trust, he said.
Yu, meanwhile, criticized President Chen Shui-bian (
"The president's direct or indirect help for a certain aspirant could impede the impartiality of the primary," he said.
The press conference was held following harsh criticism of Su by Lu.
Earlier yesterday she threatened to withdraw from the DPP's presidential primary if DPP members approve Su's move.
"How can national resources be given as personal gifts? Who gave the premier the right to boost his campaign by spending the public's money? This is the most disgraceful thing since the DPP came to office [in 2000]," she said when asked for comments on a report in the Chinese-language United Daily News in Ilan yesterday.
"If the whole party is OK with this, I will opt out of [the primary]," she said. "I hereby urge DPP members with noble aspirations to condemn this behavior."
She also urged Chen to clarify his stance on the primary, adding that if he favors a specific candidate, she would give up the primary.
At a press conference held shortly after at the Executive Yuan, Su said he was very upset about Lu, Yu and Hsieh's joint complaints against him.
"They accused me of taking advantage of my position as premier to boost my campaign," Su said. "This is the most ridiculous and absurd accusation against me. Being honest and clean have always been my mottos as a politician ever since my first day at work."
Su said his promises to Tainan and Chiayi had nothing to do with the election.
He was merely doing his job as premier, he added.
"I really do not understand. Do they [Lu, Yu and Hsieh] really have to do this to hurt other's feelings just because of an election?" Su said.
The premier left for a campaign activity immediately after he finished reading his statement without answering questions from reporters.
Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang
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