President Is Elected Head of Ruling Party

President Chen Shui-bian won his bid to become leader of Taiwan’s ruling party, reneging on a key campaign promise to distance himself from the party and be a “president for all the people.”

Democratic Progressive Party members in Taipei, the capital, voted unanimously to amend the party charter to specify that whenever Taiwan’s president is a DPP member, he will also head the party.

Chen’s successful effort to take the helm of the party appeared to signal the end of his attempts to create a coalition government and stay above partisan politics. Chen had promised to maintain a clear line between party and state.