The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday announced it would hold four televised sessions for presidential nominee contenders to explain their platforms in the run-up to the party primaries next month.
While a minor issue in the party primaries, the decision resolves several of presidential hopeful Annette Lu’s (呂秀蓮) grievances with the DPP’s primaries process, which she said was unfair.
Lu said she was “satisfied” with the verdict even though she had asked the party to hold up to 12 sessions, but later toned down her request to four.
TREADING CAREFULLY
The DPP is treading carefully around Lu, the party’s first declared competitor, after she voiced grievances against a decision to replace party member polls with telephone polls to decide a DPP nominee.
The four television talk spots are an increase from the 2008 primaries, in which only three were held, leading to the ultimate nomination of former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷).
NOT DEBATES
DPP spokesperson Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) said the sessions would not be debates and would include little cross-examination, although he said that candidates would be given the chance to make their concerns clear.
The DPP is close to concluding the touchy subject of nominating a presidential contender, with a final candidate expected to be decided on May 4, if not sooner, pending internal negotiations.
During the DPP’s Central Executive Committee meeting yesterday, committee member and Legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮), concerned that not enough time was given to understand the candidates, proposed holding up to 100 television appearances — an idea that was rapidly shot down.
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