Pro-independence groups lend their support to the TSU *

　施正鋒

淡江大學公共行政學系暨公共政策研究所教授

SOUR RELATIONS: A number of independence activists slammed the DPP for trying to squeeze out the smaller party in the competition for votes

STAFF WRITER, WITH CNA
Saturday, Jan 05, 2008, Page 3
A group of independence activists and academics yesterday publicly voiced their support for the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), two days after several pro-independence groups lent their backing to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Pro-independence groups, including Taiwan Society, Northern Taiwan Society and Southern Taiwan Society, on Wednesday called on voters to cast their second party vote for the DPP rather than the TSU, while questioning whether the latter had deviated from the path of Taiwan-centric consciousness after transforming itself into a "center-left" party.

But in a rejection of the DPP's call, another group of independence activists and academics -- including former presidential adviser Huang Tien-lin (黃天麟), former national policy adviser Hsieh Tsung-min (謝聰敏) and Tamkang University professor Shih Cheng-feng (施正鋒) -- came forth in support of the TSU yesterday.

Shih slammed the DPP for trying to act as a proxy for all the pro-Taiwan independence forces by pushing the TSU into a corner.

Relations between the DPP and the TSU have turned sour in recent months in part because of fierce competition ahead of the legislative elections next Saturday and to what the DPP described as the TSU's shift away from a "Taiwan-centric" stance.

In the DPP's battle to win a significant number of seats in the legislature, it fears that the TSU could split the pro-independence votes and hurt DPP candidates' chances of wrestling seats from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), observers said.

DPP Vice Secretary-General Liu Chien-hsin (劉建忻) has said that the party seeks to secure 50 seats in the new legislature, which will have a total of 113 members.

Meanwhile, the DPP yesterday urged the TSU to refrain from taking legal action against a top DPP official, who called on voters not to vote for TSU candidates, for allegedly violating the election law.

Liu said the TSU was simply trying to win voters' support ahead of the election.

"There is no need for the TSU to resort to legal means over the issue as it is normal for the public to freely express their support for a certain political party or a particular candidate in a democracy," he said.

Liu made the remarks after TSU officials said that they were considering filing a complaint against former DPP chairman Yu Shyi-kun and several pro-independence groups on charges of breaking the Public Officials Election and Recall Law (公職人員選舉罷免法) by asking voters not to vote for TSU candidates.
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