Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday expressed regret over a row between Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and former Taipei County commissioner You Ching (尤清) over the election of the party chairperson next month, emphasizing all politicians must accept challenges from others.
Lu said any political party should not have just one candidate running for party leader. As long as the candidate meets the necessary requirements, their decision to stand in the race deserves recognition.
Tsai and You are the only two candidates vying for the position of party chairperson. You has cast doubt on Tsai’s credentials to seek re-election, saying Tsai knows little about the founding spirit of the DPP or what the public expects of the party.
You said on Monday that Tsai “sought refuge” with the DPP during former president Lee Teng-hui’s (李登輝) presidency and the way the party allowed her to nominate candidates for public offices ran counter to the party’s democratic system. You also urged Tsai to ditch her re-election bid and stand in the November election in Sinbei City, describing her as a “three-star general who has never fought a battle.”
When asked for comment yesterday, Lu said You is one of the party’s 10 founding members and that he deserved a certain amount of respect.
There was a generational shift in 2008 when Tsai took the helm of the party in May 2008 and she has led the party to many election victories, Lu said.
“But we can have another generational shift,” she said. “In the face of a different situation, it is only appropriate for the party to respect those with different experiences.”
Lu said both Tsai and You have outstanding credentials and each has their own unique features.
“It is regretful that some younger party members do not know of the hardship the party had to endure when it was founded,” she said. “They overlook the true meaning of democracy and do whatever they can to humiliate others.”
On the November elections, Lu said it was a bad idea for the person contesting the position of party chairman to run in the municipality polls.
While the party planned to finalize the candidates next month, Lu said the party could consider announcing it ahead of time.
Elections for the heads of five special municipalities will take place on Nov. 27 in Taipei City, Sinbei City (新北市, the upgraded Taipei County), Greater Taichung (a merger of Taichung City and Taichung County), Greater Tainan (a merger of Tainan City and Tainan County) and Greater Kaohsiung (a merger of Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County).
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