The Taiwan president's chief of staff, Su Tseng-chang, took over the helm of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Sunday, saying he will create a larger base of support for the pro-independence party. The DPP elected Su, viewed as one of the front-runners for the 2008 presidential race, as chairman after President Chen Shui-bian quit the job to take responsibility for the party's disappointing showing in December legislative elections. Voters had given 51 percent of parliamentary seats to opposition parties that favour closer ties with rival China. "Looking at the future, the DPP will build the widest avenue to reflect the broad will of the people, allowing more people to support the DPP," Su said in a brief statement to reporters. Since the legislative defeat, the Chen government has set a conciliatory tone, calling for dialogue with the opposition and with China, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan and threatens to attack the democratic island if it declares formal statehood. While the DPP's charter sets Taiwan independence from China as its final goal, Su is likely to support the government's new conciliatory line as power still resides with Chen, say analysts. Su has yet to clearly reveal his stance on independence and is generally viewed as a moderate in the party. Reconciliation with China could be off to a hopeful start with the two arch-foes exchanging non-stop charter flights for the first time in over 5 decades on Saturday. --more 1434 Local Time 1134 GMT
