By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has designated five party heavyweights to be in charge of negotiations for party primaries of hotly contested constituencies in the commissioner and mayoral elections next year.
According to the party’s Central Standing Committee resolution on Aug. 14, the DPP headquarters is to oversee negotiations in constituencies with two or more aspirant candidates if private discussions between them fail to achieve a result.
With an eye to finalizing the nominations as soon as possible, the committee has decided to establish the coordination platform in five constituencies, with DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) in charge of negotiations in Pingtung County, where incumbent DPP lawmakers Pan Men-an (潘孟安) and Su Chen-ching (蘇震清) are vying for nomination, DPP spokesperson Lin Chun-hsien (林俊憲) said yesterday.
Former DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was tasked with settling one of the fiercest competitions in Changhua County, where five DPP members have expressed an interest in winning the DPP nomination, including incumbent lawmaker Wei Ming-ku (魏明谷); former Changhua County commissioner Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠); former legislators Chiang Chao-yi (江昭儀) and Chen Chin-ting (陳進丁); and Changhua City Mayor Chiu Chien-fu (邱建富).
DPP caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) was appointed to coordinate negotiations between three aspirant candidates — a pair of lawmakers, Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌), and former presidential running mate Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), in Greater Taichung.
In Nantou County, former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) will have to convince two of three candidates — Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) and two former lawmakers, Lee Wen-chung (李文忠) and Tang Huo-shen (湯火聖) — to drop out of the race.
Former premier Yu Shyi-kun (游錫?) has been assigned to conduct negotiations between four aspirant candidates in Yunlin County — legislators Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) and Lee Ying-yuan (李應元), former Keelung mayor Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) and former county councilor Lin Shin-ting (林新丁).
No deadline has been set for the negotiations, but the five heavyweights are to report their progress to the party on a weekly basis. If all attempts at negotiations fail, public opinion polls will be held to determine the final candidates, Lin said.