Mon, Mar 13, 2000 page3

• Chen rolls out list of big names

  STRONG MINDS The DPP presidential candidate has publicized another nine names on his all-star cast of figures who have agreed to join his advisory staff

  • By Monique Chu / STAFF REPORTER
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  DPP presidential candidate Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday that another nine prominent women and men from Taiwan's business, academic and cultural circles promised to join his National Policy Advisory Committee if he is elected.

  Chen also said he would ask Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲), president of Academia Sinica, who announced his endorsement of Chen's bid last week, to head the advisory committee and to lead the Taiwanese negotiating group for talks with Beijing.

  Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫), Straits Exchange Foundation Chairman and Taiwan's top negotiator with China, would also be invited to lend his experience and wisdom to help with the negotiation process, the DPP candidate said.

  Chen announced the latest names on his advisors' list during a campaign rally in Taoyuan yesterday morning. Figures from cultural circles included Lin Hwai-min (林懷民), founder of Taiwan's premier dance company Cloud Gate Dance Theater and Chen Chi-nan (陳其南), dean of the college of humanities and social sciences at National Chiao-tung University and former vice chairman of the Council for Cultural Affairs.

  University presidents who promised to join the committee were National Chiao-tung University's Chang Chun-yen (張俊彥), National Yang Ming University's Tseng Chih-lang (曾志朗), National Chung Cheng University's Cheng Kuo-shun (鄭國順), and Chiu Kuen-liang (邱坤良), president of National Institute of the Arts.

  Support from business circles included Kao Chih-ming (高志明), president of I-Mei Food Co, Ltd, Lin Chung-hsiung (林鐘雄), chairman of E Sun Bank, and Lin Hsin-yi (林信義), vice chairman of China Motor Corporation.

  Political observers said Chen's move to announce his list of advisors, most of whom are household names and highly respected figures, would help sway the large number of voters who remain undecided on their preference of candidate.

  Wang Yeh-lih (王業立), a political scientist at Tunghai University in Taichung, said many who have endorsed the KMT's Lien and independent candidate James Soong are shady characters with public reputations for corruption and links to gangsters. This is not the case with those who have publicly backed Chen's bid, Wang said.

  He said Chen's choice of advisors would assuage concerns some voters still have about Chen's position on certain issues, such as cross-strait affairs where he is often seen as a firebrand.

  Lin Hwai-min confirmed yesterday that he would work as Chen's advisor.

  "Cultural development in Taiwan is an issue that I have been concerned about for years. I am willing to offer my advice on cultural affairs to whoever wins the presidential election and considers my advice valuable," Lin said.

  Chen's move yesterday was a follow-up to his announcement last week on who would join his advisory committee.

  Along with Lee, the Nobel Prize-winning chemist, other heavyweights that had promised to be Chen's advisors included Taiwan High-Speed Railway Corp chairperson Nita Ing (殷琪), Chi Mei Corporation president Shi Wen-lung (許文龍), Evergreen Group founder Chang Yung-fa (張榮發), former National Security Advisor Chen Pi-chao (陳必照), current presidential advisor Hsiao Hsin-huang (蕭新煌) and Acer CEO Stan Shih (施振榮).
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