Correction requested
With reference to Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US’ Jan. 20 letter and John Hsieh’s Feb. 8 response, we absolutely agree that there is no “Taiwan Constitution,” but rather a constitution of the Republic of China (ROC) that includes Taiwan as its sovereign territory.
The original letter the Press Division submitted on Jan. 17 said exactly that: “Of course, the government of the Republic of China rejects this claim. According to our constitution, Taiwan is a part of the ROC.”
The editors of the Taipei Times changed the sentence to read “According to Taiwan’s Constitution, it is a part of the ROC.”
This unfortunate alteration fundamentally changed the meaning of the sentence and thus caused confusion for the paper’s readership.
It is our sincere request that Taipei Times issue a correction that acknowledges the misunderstanding and acknowledges the fact that TECRO, a government agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, understands the Constitution of the Republic of China and the ROC’s sovereignty over Taiwan.
Press Division
Taipei Economic and
Cultural Representative Office in the United States
Ma will not step down
After Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) lobbed the first shot at President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Feb. 11, the question of whether Ma should quit as Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman if the party fares poorly in the seven-in-one elections at the end of this year has become a hot issue.
It also became an item of discussion and debate in media such as the Taipei Times (“KMT distances itself from Ma,” Feb. 20, page 8).
Unfortunately, not a single person will believe that Ma would step down.
Even though the Taipei Times stated that it is common sense, common courtesy and a universal standard in the political arena that “In a democracy, the leader of a political party that loses an election often steps down,” Ma is a person who has no respect. He is an over-cosmeticized politician. He is not the gentle, kind, respectful, frugal and humble person his sycophants say he is. He has no credibility as a political leader.
Where are those promises of the “6-3-3” goals — 6 percent annual economic growth, per capita GDP of US$30,000 and unemployment of less than 3 percent?
He is a leader who will not take responsibility for what he has said and done.
The following examples demonstrate this: In 2005, while serving as KMT chairman, he said he would step down if the party did not win half of the cities and counties in the then-upcoming election. So far, he has said nothing about this statement, because he knows that the KMT will lose miserably in this year’s seven-in-one elections.
A few years ago, he demanded that former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) step down for his poor performance rating of 18 percent. Today, Ma’s satisfactory performance rating is 9.2 percent and he shows no sign of stepping down from office.
Ma knew what he was doing when he pushed to pass an amendment linking the presidency to the party chairmanship in the KMT bylaws during its annual convention in September last year.
Ma’s intention has been crystal clear — he is staying on as the chairman of KMT regardless of what happens, even if the KMT gets defeated in elections this year.
So what else can those city mayors and the news media do? Not much.
So, let us continue to pitch shoes at him.
Ken Huang
Murrieta, California
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