Taipei--A veteran Taiwanese opposition figure and human rights activist launched a bid Thursday to stand for president next year, posing the latest threat to the embattled ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party.
Shih Ming-teh earned the title "Taiwan's Mandela" from local media after he was twice imprisoned by the KMT for sedition when it ruled the island under martial law.
The election will be a serious challenge to the Beijing-friendly KMT with its popularity waning due to fears of increased Chinese influence on the island.
A stagnating economy and a string of food safety scandals have added to its woes.
Shih announced his bid to stand as an independent candidate in the January vote which will also see Tsai Ing-wen of the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) run -- she would become Taiwan's first woman president if she won.
Shih -- who was tortured in prison -- is a respected rights activist due to his past campaigns for freedom of expression and against state violence under martial law. More recently he has argued for gay rights in Taiwan and has been a critic of mainland China's human rights record.
"Taiwan badly needs a Robin Hood president," said 74-year-old Shih, announcing his campaign.
He has criticised the two main parties for what he said were their cosy relationships with big business while workers' salaries have barely risen since the 1990s.
"If I get elected... wealth gained from injustice would be returned to the people," he said.
Shih also called for an end to the polarisation of the island between the KMT and DPP saying he would put together a "grand coalition government" of cross-party and independent talent.
AFP
