Three top DPP leaders to miss pro-Chen rally

This may leave Chairman Yu Shyi-kun as the only DPP leader for the event. Yu is rushing back after cutting short his American trip by canceling a scheduled visit to Los Angeles because of “important business” in Taipei.

There were reports that President Chen will show up at the rally to be held right in front of the Presidential Office. But none of his aides has confirmed the reports.

Three other DPP heavyweights — Vice President Annette Lu, Premier Su Tseng-chang and former Premier Frank Hsieh — are not going to take part in the rally, although DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng said the party supporters hope to see all of the four heavyweights show up to demonstrate that the party is behind the president and that it has not been affected by the “anti-corruption, depose-Chen” campaign’s bid to drive a wedge among them.

Vice President Lu will not be there because she was not invited.

The Taiwan Society said it decided not to invite Lu to attend the rally, claiming that she “showed an ambition to usurp the presidency.”

Gao’s colleague Julian Kuo claimed that Lu has done “some things” that have cast her in a unfavorable light and said she needs to clarify them.

He noted that one of her close aides speaks frequently against Chen on TV, that she “abruptly” called a meeting of the caucus whips of various parties, and that her brother — lawyer Lu Chuang-sheng — had criticized President Chen for tarnishing the image of lawyers with the scams allegedly involving himself, members of his family and senior aides.

Reports by local media said that participants decided in a DPP Central Standing Committee meeting that the party will mobilize its supporters around the island to counter the week-old “anti-corruption, depose-Chen” campaign launched by former DPP Chairman Shih Ming-teh who vowed to eradicate corruption from Taiwan politics.

At the meeting, Lu voiced disagreement with the plan of mobilizing supporters for the counter rally. But she expressed regrets for her elder brother’s criticisms of the president.

Both Lu and Hsieh left the party meeting before the resolution was made.

By the resolution, elected DPP officials, leaders of local branches, and election candidates will help solicit participants and arrange transport means for the trip to Taipei.

Su didn’t attend the meeting or engage in a heated debate on the issue at all.

Premier Su said he cannot attend the rally because he will be too preoccupied with maintaining law and order in his capacity as the chief of the executive branch.

According to Su, “government officials have to work as befits their positions,” noting that he and Minister of the Interior Lee Yi-yang will be responsible for maintaining law and order and the normal functioning of the government that day.

Su expressed hope that confrontation between those supporting the president and those opposing him can be avoided.

Hsieh, who is running for Taipei mayor in the December election, said he will not attend the rally because he, as a candidate for mayor, is obligated to help maintain peace and order for Taipei.

The rally was generally seen as a counter demonstration against the “One Million People Against Corruption” campaign led by former DPP Chairman Shih.

Shih criticized the DPP for safeguarding corruption and following steps of Hitler to mobilize one crowd of people against another group of people.

He said the DPP government — which already controls the executive, military, and intelligence systems — should not take the unprecedented move of pitting people against people.

Shih described the people to be mobilized to the rally are “soulless people” manipulated by the DPP.

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