Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), who has several times declined to take over as the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) chairperson -- and yet embraced the chance to fill the post temporarily on Wednesday -- is starting to pave the way for her candidacy in the 2008 presidential election, political commentators said yesterday.
In fact, it was not just Lu herself who was "surprised" at her acceptance of the position after DPP chairman Su Tseng-chang (
Although local newspapers had speculated on several possible candidates for to serve as the party's acting chairperson -- such as DPP caucus whip Jao Yung-ching (
"People were shocked because Vice President Lu sitting in that position somehow seems to go against the rules of the game within the DPP," Shih Cheng-feng (
Shih said that in the DPP, crucial decisions or nominations are often produced after keen contention and political wrestling among the party's factions. Therefore, Lu, who does not participate in any factions, was an unexpected choice for acting chairperson.
The four major factions in the DPP are the New Tide (新潮流) faction, the Justice Alliance (
The DPP will hold an election for chairperson before the end of January and Lu is also qualified to register as a candidate, according to the party's regulations.
Although the acting chairperson will not necessarily become the next DPP chief, Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒), political commentator and editor-in-chief of Contemporary Monthly magazine, said that Lu's gesture was an obvious signal she is forging ahead with her candidacy for the 2008 presidential poll.
"Lu has not found a `stage' in the office of vice president -- which gives her no actual power to do the things she wants. Therefore, Lu has been searching for another stage for herself to increase her exposure and publicity," Chin said, "And the DPP chairpersonship is the ideal position for her purpose."
Chin predicted that Lu would sign up for the party's 2008 presidential primary.
Meanwhile, Chin also took issue with some news reports that asserted President Chen Shui-bian (
Shih expressed a similar view and even believes that it was Chen who approved Lu for the position.
Honor guards are to stop performing changing of the guard ceremonies around a statue of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) to avoid “worshiping authoritarianism,” the Ministry of Culture said yesterday. The fate of the bronze statue has long been the subject of fierce and polarizing debate in Taiwan, which has transformed from an autocracy under Chiang into one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies. The changing of the guard each hour at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei is a major tourist attraction, but starting from 9am on Monday, the ceremony is to be moved outdoors to Democracy Boulevard, outside the eponymous blue-and-white memorial
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supports peaceful unification with China, and President William Lai (賴清德) is “a bit naive” for being a “practical worker for Taiwanese independence,” former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said in an interview published yesterday. Asked about whether the KMT is on the same page as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on the issue of Taiwanese independence or unification with China, Ma told the Malaysian Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily that they are not. While the KMT supports peaceful unification and is against unification by force, the DPP opposes unification as such and
The government would cancel kendo practitioner Su Yu-cheng’s (蘇郁程) nationality if he is confirmed to have represented China in the World Kendo Championships in Milan, Italy, last week, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday. “We have consulted the Sports Administration and were told that athletes participating in the championships must have the nationality of the country that they represent. They must also present their passports as proof,” council spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) told a weekly news conference. “If Su indeed represented China in the championships, we suspect that he has obtained Chinese nationality.” The Act Governing Relations Between the People of the
FATAL ILLNESS: Untreated symptoms can rapidly worsen to complications such as high fever, seizures and loss of consciousness, and can be life-threatening, a doctor said Hospitals have been reporting dozens of people with heat-related illnesses every day over the past week, given continuous high daytime temperatures, so recognizing the early signs of heatstroke is crucial in preventing serious complications, a Taipei City Hospital emergency physician said. The Central Weather Administration yesterday issued a heat alert for 19 cities and counties across Taiwan, with temperatures in New Taipei City, Miaoli County and Pingtung County likely to exceed 38°C, and temperatures in 12 cities and counties likely to exceed 36°C for three days straight. More than a dozen people were taken to hospitals for heat-related illnesses every day from