None of the 11 “bandits” of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party who lost their primaries agreed yesterday to be drafted to run in “hazardous” constituencies.

Yu Shyi-kun, DPP chairman who himself lost the party presidential primary, announced in the morning some losers, including veteran lawmakers such as Hung Chi-chang and Cheng Yun-peng, must be drafted.

Many of them, all belonging to the DPP New Tide faction and called “bandits” because of their reformist stand, have a “clean image” and they therefore must run in constituencies where the ruling party can field winning candidates in the coming legislative elections, Yu said.

Such constituencies are described as hazardous.

That did not sit well with any of the “bandits” who have been condemned for their disloyalty to the president.

They were still nursing the wound DPP secretary-general Lin Chia-lung had inflicted on them last week.

So they decided individually to trade barbs with their party leadership.

Lin Chia-lung said these heavyweights lost the primaries simply because they were fence-sitters.

The remarks were considered akin to the rubbing of salt in a wound.

All “bandits” likely to be drafted turned down the invitation and called in unison on Yu Shyi-kun to draft his secretary-general.

Cheng Yun-peng said the party is convinced that he is a fence-sitter. “Why don’t they draft Lin Chia-lung, who certainly isn’t a fence-sitter?” said the veteran legislator who will not be able to run for reelection.

His former colleague Lin Chuo-shui said he is now busy writing a book. “I have no time to run, and Lin Chia-lung is the one who should be drafted,” said Lin, who resigned as a lawmaker- at-large a few months ago to protest against the failure of the ruling party to reform itself.

Still another “bandit,” Shen Fah-hui, questioned the wisdom of the ruling party to draft “fence sitters” who lost their primaries.

“These people lost because of the unfair primaries, for which the party central was responsible, and the best candidate to be drafted must be Lin Chia-lung,” said Shen, another veteran deprived of his chance to return to the legislature.

“Aren’t we all fence sitters?” asked DPP lawmaker Bikhim Hsiao. “Why should we be drafted?”

Hung Chi-chang declined comment. He is a lawmaker-at- large. He was placed far behind on a list of candidates the ruling party would submit for lawmakers at large.

Altogether 34 legislators at large would be elected under a proportional representation system.

So was Luo Wen-jia, a former lawmaker-turned chairman of the Hakka Affairs Commission.

Neither Hung nor Luo have a chance to return to parliament.

Like Hung, Luo withheld comment.

The ruling party knows full well it can draft anybody but Lin Chia-lung. He was routed by Jason Hu in the mayoral election in Taichung in December 2005.

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