Chen made the remarks one day after Hsieh said the president should focus on the national affairs and he himself, as the formal candidate, will run the election campaign.

Hsieh also emphasized that if the coordination between his campaign headquarters and the Presidential Office on certain issues could not resolve the differences surrounding the campaign strategy, “my ideas should be followed as I have to take responsibility for the election outcome.”

Responding to Hsieh’s statements, Chen noted that he himself was a presidential candidate twice and he totally understands the complexities and difficulties involving the election campaigns.

When there are different views and coordination is required, all others should respect the candidate’s views, Chen said.

There have been reports that Hsieh’s campaign aides have complained that candidate Hsieh has been upstaged by other political figures who tend to steal the show.

Hsieh and his running mate, former Premier Su Tseng-chang, have not been able to get prominent media exposure because other DPP leaders have dominated most major issues.

There were also different views on some crucial policies.

Hsieh’s advocacy of more open cross-Taiwan Strait relations to woo more middle-of-the-road voters seems to be undermined by the president or other party heavyweights, leaving Hsieh marginalized within his own party.

Hsieh’s aides expressed the hope that the DPP party congress to be held today will serve as a forum to forge party unity.

They said Hsieh should be a central figure at the meeting and they do not want to see the issue of whether outgoing DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun should stay to steal the limelight.

Yu offered to resign last week upon learning that he had been indicted for corruption over alleged mishandling of a “special allowance fund” set aside for his discretionary use.

He formally announced his resignation after Chen and Hsieh rejected his ideas on including the words changing the country’s title to “Taiwan” from the current name of “Republic of China” in a “normal country resolution” that will be officially adopted by the party congress as the platform for the presidential election today.

Chen and other party leaders have been persuading Yu to stay on so as to demonstrate party solidarity.

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