Chen takes DPP helm again

Chen, who will step down in May after eight years as president, told a news conference he had accepted an offer made by the party’s Central Standing Committee on Oct. 5, to become its next chairman. The announcement was made during a news conference initially held to discuss the president’s planned visit to the Marshall Islands for the second Leadership Summit between Taiwan and its South Pacific diplomatic allies.

“My responsibility will be to win the legislative elections [in January] and the presidential election [in March],” Chen went on, so that a “Taiwan-centric administration will continue to serve Taiwan’s 23 million people.”

According to Chinese-language sources, Chen’s decision will put him in a strong position to influence party strategy in the elections, but at the same time put him on a collision course with Frank Hsieh, the official DPP candidate in the 2008 presidential election.

As opposed to Chen, Hsieh is promoting closer trade ties with China in the hope of winning over the island’s broad majority of moderate voters. Hsieh is running against Ma Ying-jeou, the main opposition Kuomintang candidate, who advocates direct trade and transportation links and eventual unification with China.

But Chen tried to play down any differences with Hsieh.

“Frank Hsieh is right that he will be leading campaign strategies ... As a helper, I still need to warn him against risks ahead, but the candidate will be the one who decides where to go.”

Public opinion polls have shown that the DPP faces a tough battle against the KMT in the upcoming presidential polls.

Meanwhile, the DPP legislative caucus endorsed President Chen Shui-bian’s decision to resume the party’s chairmanship, saying that it could help secure victory in two key elections early next year.

DPP Legislators Wang Tuoh, Huang Wei-cher and Hsieh Hsin-ni, called a news conference that afternoon at the Legislative Yuan to display their support for President Chen, who promised to lead the party to victory in the Jan. 12 legislative election.

Chen also pledged to secure victory for the DPP presidential ticket of Frank Hsieh and Su Tseng-chang in the March 22 presidential poll, so as to maintain the DPP’s grip of power for another four years.

The three legislators said they strongly believe that Chen fully weighed the “harmony” within the party before deciding to take over the helm.

Chen’s return to the chairmanship will help coordinate party affairs and provide an optimal opportunity for Hsieh to closely collaborate with Chen in a “critical” electoral moment, Wang said.

According to Huang, Chen will definitely do his best to campaign for Hsieh and the party will put forward its best lineup to serve in the election campaign.

Chen served as DPP chairman from July 2002 to December 2004, when he resigned to assume responsibility for the party’s failure to win a majority in the legislative elections that year.

The ruling party chairmanship became vacant last month following the resignation of Yu Shyi-kun, who was indicted on graft charges for his alleged misuse of a “special allowance fund” during his terms as premier and as Presidential Office secretary-general.

Yu said that he was adamant about resigning after his version of the “normal country resolution” was rejected by party leaders Sept. 26.

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