DPP Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) stated that no more candidates were expected to register after Tsai, 51, who is now chairwoman of TaiMedBiologics, a Taiwan-based biotechnology company, officially registered her candidacy shortly after 3 p.m. at the DPP headquarters in Taipei City.

Earlier in the morning, former senior presidential adviser Koo Kwan-ming registered his candidacy for the DPP leadership post, accompanied by his wife Wang Ming-hsiu, Government Information Office Minister Shieh Jyr-wei, Taiwan North Society president Chin Heng-wei (金恒煒) and ChthoniC lead singer Freddy Lin and other "deep green" personages.

The former senior presidential adviser stated that he would "stabilize the confidence and hope for the future of the six million voters who uphold Taiwan values" and drive reform of the party by organizing a team of young cadres to drive the revamping of the DPP structure in two years and by "rebuilding DPP core values."

"My goal is to break up and transform the DPP as otherwise the DPP has no hope for the future," Koo said.

Koo, who was once chairman of the Japanese section of the World United Formosans for Independence before returning to Taiwan in 1965, distributed a statement by former presidential secretary-general and National Taiwan University economics Professor Chen Shih-meng (陳師孟) who expressed his "full support" for Koo's candidacy.

At 3:00 p.m., Tsai Ing-wen arrived at the DPP headquarters to register her candidacy, accompanied by an aide and told reporters that she had made the final decision to run "this morning."

Noting that many friends had advised her both to run and not to run, Tsai said that the key factor in her final decision was "myself" and said her decision aimed to "fulfill the responsibilities of a DPP member" and described her feelings as similar to "being on a car that cannot be stopped."

Stating that her platform was "Taiwan, Democracy and Progress," Tsai stated that she hoped to "return the party to its simple and unadorned essence" and lead it in its new rule as "an opposition party with experience in government."

The Pingtung native said she would work to uphold but also "redefine Taiwan-centrism" and promote a "broadly inclusive Taiwan-centric consciousness" and would strive for a balance between "defending Taiwan sovereignty" and "development a new China discourse" to face the challenges of a fast changing regional and global environment.

Saying that a political party in a mature democracy had to "decide whom it aimed to represent and how to serve their interests," Tsai also stated that she would both promote "efficiency" and reform in the party organization, enhance the DPP's ability to monitor the incoming Kuomintang government and rebuild relations with progressive social movements so that the DPP could "once again stand together with civic society" based on common progressive values.

Tsai said she would promote Tsai said she would promote greater "internationalization" in the DPP through building linkages with non-government organizations and striving for international support for Taiwan based on DPP core values."

Asked whether she would resign from her chairwoman post at TaiMedBiologics, Tsai stated that she did not want to see the biotechnology company "affected by politics" and promised to "properly handle this issue at the proper time."

After the registration, Lee said that with three candidates the election process would follow the procedures of the DPP by-laws, which allow for "consultations" among the candidates before a scheduled televised debate on May 10 and the direct election of the chairperson and party delegates by members May 18.

Lee added that the DPP will hold a closed door "expanded re-examination conference" today to review the reasons for the party's defeat in the January Legislative elections and the March presidential poll and reach consensus on possible remedial changes in the party platform and organization.

'Far from assured'

DPP insiders noted that the result of the party chair race was by no means "certain."

"Party chair elections are not like presidential elections and cannot be won only on image and appeal, but need strong organizational support among grassroots members," an ex-DPP legislator affiliated with the former New Tide faction told The Taiwan News.

Although Tsai has received considerable support from social movement and civic reform activists as well as from DPP heavyweights such as DPP Legislative Caucus Convenor Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), the former DPP lawmaker said that "if Koo and Tsai join forces, her victory is far from assured."