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DPP CONFIRMS CHEN, LU AS PARTY'S CANDIDATES FOR NEXT ELECTION

2003-12-13 19:18:58

    Taipei, Dec. 13 (CNA) The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Saturday confirmed Chen Shui-bian and Annette Lu as the party's presidential and vice presidential candidates for the March 20, 2004, election at a party congress.

    The party congress set the tone of "believing in Taiwan and insisting on reforms" as the campaign theme. Senior presidential adviser Peng Ming-min, first lady Wu Shu-chen, and the directors of local city and county campaign offices were all present to display the party's unity and its will to win the election.

    Peng, in addressing the party, said that Taiwan has traveled down a bumpy and winding road to attain the democracy it has today. He stressed that there have always been forces that resists reform and progress in Taiwan, stressing that these people should not lead Taiwan. "Only a native party can put forward a native presidential candidate who will really understand the needs of the Taiwan people and ensure their interests," he said.

    The DPP also arranged for four senior party members, including Presidential Office Senior Adviser Huang Tien-fu, to come to the stage on behalf of the 626 senior party members to accept memorial plaques from DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung and tributes from the party congress.

    Huang said that the party, through a democratic process and in a responsible manner and joyful mood, confirmed Chen and Lu to represent the party for a triumphant battle of reform and dignity.

    Chang said that since the DPP's inception in 1986, the party has always been on the side of reform and justice. From the party's earlier calls for the lifting of martial law to its promotion of legislative reforms and popular presidential elections, the DPP's ideas have become mainstream opinion one by one, making Taiwan one of the most democratic countries in the Chinese world.

    He said that next year's presidential election will be a historic watershed, pointing out that it will be significant in determining whether Taiwan will continue to pursue reform, whether it will firmly insist on national security, and whether it will continue to upgrade its competitiveness.

    He said the DPP-led government has pushed various reforms and upgraded administrative effectiveness with the result being that what has been done over the past four years has surpassed that of the previous four decades.

    For the sake of the future of the nation, Chang urged all the people of Taiwan to throw their support behind President Chen.

    The directors of the DPP's local branch campaign offices then came on stage to stand behind President Chen and Vice President Lu to show their solidarity and their determination to win the battle.

    President Chen then delivered a speech in which he said that 2004 will be crucial to solidifying democracy and strengthening reforms in Taiwan.

    Meanwhile, DPP Secretary-General Chang said that to win the election, the party has set 7 million votes as its goal. Chen won by obtaining 39.3 percent of the vote in the previous presidential election in 2000, and the party hopes that this figure will increase by 10 percentage points in the March election.

    The DPP has also set the goal of achieving an increase of five percentage points in the number of votes it garners over that which it garnered in each of the most recent county chief and mayoral elections in the seven counties and cites in southern Taiwan that were won by the party.

    Noting that the 2000 election was a three-way race, Taipei County Magistrate Su Tseng-chang said Chen will have to garner more than half the votes in the upcoming election as it is only a two-way battle this time around. The number of eligible voters in Taiwan stands at around 15 million.

    Su also said that it is his unwavering duty to drum up support for President Chen in Taipei County. As Pingtung is also his hometown, Su said he will also stump for the DPP from north to south. Su formally served as a Pingtung County magistrate.

    On Friday night, President Chen held his first campaign meeting at his official residence after announcing his five-man campaign team, which is comprised of Chang Chun-hsiung, Su Tseng-chang, Premier Yu Shyi-kun, Presidential Office Secretary General Chiou I-jen and Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh.

(By Lilian Wu)

ENDITEM/Li