leaning Chen and analysts see a quick resumption of stalled talks as unlikely. The 58-year-old Su came to prominence as magistrate of Taipei county, making him a natural competitor with the main opposition Nationalist Party's most popular politician, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou, for the 2008 presidential race. Some analyst say Chen shunted Su off to the largely powerless post of party chairman because he had become dangerously popular, threatening to eclipse the president and render him a lame duck in his second and final term. Another possible DPP contender for the 2008 race is newly appointed premier Frank Hsieh, who enjoyed high popularity ratings as mayor of Taiwan's second largest city, Kaohsiung. Hsieh, who will formally take office on Tuesday, has also called for dialogue with China and opposition parties.
