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Updated Friday, September 25, 2009 9:11 am TWN, The China Post news staff

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DPP still being hijacked by ex-Pres. Chen Shui-bian

At any rate, it's going to take years before the Chen case can be closed.

Dared by his online questioners, Su replied finally: “Any person or any party, (if) a mistake is made or an act done against the expectations of the people, has to face the washing out by the will of the people.”

Well, that's the closest to an expression of the party's will to distance itself from its former supreme leader now in detention. Remember Wu would like to replace Hsieh as an uncontested leader by winning the mayoral election in North City next year.

North City is the existing Taipei County, which will be upgraded to the status of special municipality on a par with the capital city.

Annette Lu, former vice president, is urging Chen Shui-bian to apologize again to the public. But her call won't be heeded. Moreover, she won't be a presidential contender in 2012, albeit she may try.

Minor leaders, like mayor of Kaohsiung Chen Chu and magistrate of Kaohsiung Yang Chiu-hsing, are more supportive of ex-President Chen.

The female mayor of Kaohsiung, who won fame for hosting the World Games in July, called for an immediate end to the detention of the ex-president.

Yang said the punishment “is too harsh.”

Still another minor leader, Chen Chi-mai, vowed a “long war of resistance” in defense of President Chen. A former deputy secretary-general to the president, the Kaohsiung-born Chen Chi-mai did not say how that war can be carried on.

The fact is that all DPP leaders, except Yu, know they have to get out of the shadow of the former president at once, but can't.

As a matter of fact, President Chen's conviction at the first trial is the best chance for the opposition party to cut off any umbilical tie with the disgraced leader.

But none of them dare do so for fear that they may lose support of the hardcore independence activists who are avid supporters of Chen Shui-bian.

DPP presidential contenders must stop being hijacked by President Chen, the sooner the better, instead of trying to rely on a possible fatal bungling on the part of the Kuomintang administration for an easy win in 2012.

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