The war of words between Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Secretary-General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) and the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Taipei mayoral candidate Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) continued as the two returned to Taipei yesterday morning from trips to the US.
King and Su have been trading barbs since last week.
Both were in the US to solicit support from Taiwanese expatriates for the year-end special municipality elections.
The Chinese-language China Times yesterday reported that in New York Su berated President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for wasting taxpayers’ money on consumer vouchers. Su also criticized Ma and his administration for bragging about US-Taiwan relations, blaming the government for a series of failures, including failure to sign a free-trade agreement with the US, receive US visa waivers or purchase F-16C/D fighters from the US.
King dismissed Su’s accusation that the government hasn’t put enough effort into developing US-Taiwan relations.
“Mr Su should expand his knowledge on international relations. He would have a different opinion on [US-Taiwan relations] if he had a deeper understanding of the issue,” King said.
On Saturday, while in Los Angeles, King challenged Su to promise to serve out the four-year term if elected Taipei mayor, to which Su responded that he would serve a full four-year term if he wins and would not consider a presidential run in 2012.
King also claimed that Su and DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who is running for Sinbei mayor, do not get along, saying that residents of Taipei and Sinbei cities would suffer if the two were to be elected in the Nov. 27 elections.
King yesterday denied attacking Su, saying that his comments were made in a public and open way.
“All candidates should be reviewed in democratic elections, and what I said in the US were open comments or questions raised in a proper manner, rather than spreading rumors or making any accusations privately,” he said.
At a separate setting yesterday, Presidential Office Spokesman Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) criticized Su for making the local race a national one by focusing his attack on Ma.
Lo described Su as “Mr Unclear,” saying he was unclear about whether he was running for mayor or president, unclear about his policy plan and unclear about his position on the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA).
Lo said that while Su claimed he would not stand in the 2012 presidential election, he was running his campaign for Taipei mayor as if he were running for president.
“He may want to run for president so much that he does not have his mind on city affairs and his heart is far from his lips,” Lo said.
Su responded to KMT criticism with a post on his blog.
“From a certain point of view, the opponent’s attack is one of the best way to help us excel,” Su wrote.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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