Former Taiwan representative to Germany You Ching expressed his intention Monday to represent the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the year-end special municipality election in Xinbei City, known currently as Taipei County. Before serving as Taiwan's envoy to Germany in 2007-2008, You was Taipei County magistrate between 1989 and 1997. He is the first DPP member to make known his intention to run in Xinbei City, the name to be given to Taipei County after it is upgraded into aspecial municipality later this year. In a letter to DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen, You said pursuing development in Taipei County on a par with that of neighboring Taipei City has been his dream for more than 20 years and has driven him to seek the DPP's nomination in the upcoming election. The mayoral elections in the five special municipalities -- Taipei City and four others that will be created by Dec. 25, 2010 by upgrading Taipei County, merging Kaohsiung City with Kaohsiung County, merging Taichung City with Taichung County, and merging Tainan City with Tainan County, are seen as critical prelude to the 2012 presidential election. The DPP has decided to select its candidates through internal coordination, and then through public opinion polls if necessary. Meanwhile, former Premier Su Tseng-chang, who is considered to be one of the party's most formidable potential candidates in the year-end races but may also have his eye on a run for the presidency, said he will meet with Tsai on the issue of which race he might participate in. Su. who is expected to announce his intentions soon, refused to comment on the results of a public opinion poll conducted by The China Times showing Su 6 percentage points behind incumbent Mayor Hau Lung-bin of the Kuomintang (KMT) if he were to run in Taipei City. But DPP spokesman Tsai Chi-chang said that Su, as a former premier, will not insist on his personal desire to vie for any particular mayoral office, preferring to take into account the party's best interests. 