During a Tuesday meeting between Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and KMT Vice Chairman and Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
Lee's words brought to the surface an issue that had been on the minds of many KMT members since the election -- that someone within the KMT has to shoulder the responsibility for the defeat.
While not many people dare to say aloud the name of the person who more than anyone else should take the responsibility -- KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
Lien has to be feeling the heat now, although party members continue to call for consolidation of the party leadership and his name was conveniently omitted from all discussions about resignation.
Not only was Lee's statement echoed by other KMT members, but Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
If Lien had a shred of integrity left, he would feel the pressure. If all the small potatoes in the party resign, what is his excuse for not resigning? After all, he was the one who was defeated in the election. If he sits idly by as these people take the hit for him, he will lose all respect from others. For Lien to dodge responsibility would be feudal and entirely at odds with democracy's fundamental principles. Unlike in the feudal era, when leaders would never admit their mistakes and sacrifice their supporters to secure power meant virtually nothing, a real leader in any democracy is always the first to take accountability.
It isn't as if Lien has not had his chances. This presidential election marks the third major defeat the KMT has suffered under his leadership, the first being the 2000 presidential election and the second being the last legislative election, in which the KMT lost so many seats that lost its legislative majority and fell behind the Democratic Progressive Party to become the second-largest party in the legislature.
The strange thing is this: Lien always says he is not to blame. In the 2000 election, the problem was the so-called "dump Lien to save Chen" (Shui-bian,
Under the circumstances, it is not surprising that Lien has said that Chen was the "only one to blame" for the violence that erupted as a result of the rally organized by his party last Saturday after he went home for supper and a nice hot shower.
It is in times like these that one sees clearly how much better a man Lee was than Lien is. When asked by Lien and Ma to step down as party chairman after the 2000 election, he did so immediately in order to take responsibility for the defeat. One cannot help but wonder what has happened to Lien's moral courage over the past four years.
There is much evidence that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is sending soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — and is learning lessons for a future war against Taiwan. Until now, the CCP has claimed that they have not sent PLA personnel to support Russian aggression. On 18 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelinskiy announced that the CCP is supplying war supplies such as gunpowder, artillery, and weapons subcomponents to Russia. When Zelinskiy announced on 9 April that the Ukrainian Army had captured two Chinese nationals fighting with Russians on the front line with details
On a quiet lane in Taipei’s central Daan District (大安), an otherwise unremarkable high-rise is marked by a police guard and a tawdry A4 printout from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating an “embassy area.” Keen observers would see the emblem of the Holy See, one of Taiwan’s 12 so-called “diplomatic allies.” Unlike Taipei’s other embassies and quasi-consulates, no national flag flies there, nor is there a plaque indicating what country’s embassy this is. Visitors hoping to sign a condolence book for the late Pope Francis would instead have to visit the Italian Trade Office, adjacent to Taipei 101. The death of
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), joined by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), held a protest on Saturday on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. They were essentially standing for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is anxious about the mass recall campaign against KMT legislators. President William Lai (賴清德) said that if the opposition parties truly wanted to fight dictatorship, they should do so in Tiananmen Square — and at the very least, refrain from groveling to Chinese officials during their visits to China, alluding to meetings between KMT members and Chinese authorities. Now that China has been defined as a foreign hostile force,
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