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Groups will try to wrest power from island's leader: analyst

The chairmanship by-election of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party  has seen an ally of President Chen Shui-bian  winning the top post, but it has also ushered in anti-Chen factions that have ganged up to wrest power from the island's leader.

As expected, Yu Shyi-kun  won the leadership post,  with  25,397 or 54.44 per cent of the vote amid a turnout of just 19.96 per cent from 235,000 eligible DPP members.

Legislator Chai Trong-rong,  a hardline pro-independence activist, got 16,846 votes.

Former Changhua county magistrate  Wong Chin-chu,   a former legislator with  the DPP's New Tide faction, noted for its critical position against Mr Chen, was able to get only 4,406 votes.

The by-election had been seen as a proxy war between President Chen, Vice-President Annette Lu Hsiu-lien  and former DPP chairman Lin Yi-hsiung  even before it was started.

Most analysts expected the 57-year-old Mr Yu to win the DPP's chairmanship as he had the support of Mr  Chen,  former DPP chairman Su Tseng-chang  and about half of the New Tide faction, which supports Mr Su.

The 70-year-old Mr Chai, who had support from Ms Lu and later  from Premier Frank Hsieh Chang-ting,  resorted to charm   by soliciting support from hard-core pro-independence activists and baring his chest to show his beefy build, which he worked on for six months. But it was not enough.

Ms Wong, 59, who entered the race at a late stage,   had the blessing of former chairman Lin Yi-hsiung,  known as the DPP's icon or the 'conscience of the party', but was not influential enough  to draw votes away from  her two peers, analysts said.

Mr Lin had gambled on his 'party's conscience' name by vouching for Ms Wong, saying the party needed someone like her who was not as crafty or power-hungry as Mr Yu and Mr Chai.

Mr Lin had criticised the DPP government for turning into a corrupt regime in the five years since Mr Chen won the presidency in 2000.

He said this was the reason for the DPP's setback in the December 3 local government polls and also why he did not support Mr Yu, who had been involved with the Chen government.

As for Mr Chai, he said a 70-year-old man such as himself should make way for a younger person.

Analysts said although the election result helped Mr Chen hold on to power and avoid the fate of becoming a lame-duck president before his current term ends in 2008, it also officially spells the formation of an anti-Chen force.

'The DPP chairmanship by-election should not be seen as just a proxy war. More importantly, it is a war between pro-Chen and anti-Chen coalitions? said Philip Yang Yung-ming,  director of Taiwan Security Research.

He said the anti-Chen factions would co-operate to wrest power from Mr Chen, which would intensify infighting within the party.

Analysts said that at the moment, the anti-Chen factions include those supporting the premier, the vice-president, some key members of the New Tide faction and  Mr Lin.



Chen gains ally, but sees factions rise against him