Tsai announces bid to seek re-election

After a DPP Central Executives' Meeting, Tsai said she had originally planned to serve as the DPP head for two years when she was elected to the post in 2008.

Tsai said she “had to change her mind to appropriately deal with the number of uncertain factors related to the party's preparations for Taiwan's year-end special municipality elections.”

“This (seeking re-election) is my only choice if I want to help the DPP's central command be in good, stable shape for the coming elections,” Tsai said, apparently rejecting suggestions from many DPP members that she run for the party in one of the five municipality elections.

“This is the best decision I can make for the party,” she added.

The mayoral elections in the five special municipalities — Taipei City and four others that will be created Dec. 25, 2010 by upgrading Taipei County, merging Kaohsiung City and Kaohsiung County, merging Taichung City and Taichung County, and merging Tainan City and Tainan County — are seen as a critical prelude to the 2012 presidential election.

Tsai, who assumed the DPP leadership following the party's defeat in the presidential election two years ago, has since led the party to victories in several local elections, including two legislative by-elections earlier this year in which the party won six of seven seats up for grabs.

On news reports that former Presidential Secretary General Mark Chen is considering vying for the DPP chairmanship, Tsai said she would respect Chen's decision.

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