The maverick politician said he was in top shape for the race. “I often go hiking,” he added.

On Sept. 20, government officials announced the Olympic torch would not stop in Taiwan en route to the 2008 Beijing Games. Talks with China had broken down after reaching the third deadline imposed during negotiations by the International Olympic Committee. “Beijing had ‘belittled’ Taiwan throughout the negotiation process,” said Thomas Tsai, president of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (Taiwan), the following day.

“We need to enter the U.N. because we are not treated fairly,” said Lin Bao-shing, convener of the Cross-Country Running Association (CCRA) from Taipei County, who added that CCRA members would also join the planned torch relay.

Almost one year ago, Legislators Lee Wen-chung and Lin Cho-shui quit the legislature in protest over the way the DPP had handled corruption allegations against President Chen Shui-bian. Their move caused the first major division in the party against the president, who later announced that he would refrain from interfering in party and government affairs in the future.

However, President Chen recently announced that he would take over the party helm again in the wake of the indictment of former Chairman Yu Shyi-kun. Yu was indicted on graft charges for his alleged misuse of a “special allowance fund” during his term as premier and then as Presidential Office secretary-general.

Last May, Lee and Lin failed to get the nomination in the first phase of the party primary for the year-end legislative elections. They were both defeated by large margins by party members who previously stood by the embattled president.

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