DPP presidential candidate Chen Shui-bian (
Chen also repeated his offer to China's leaders of conducting a visit of peace to the mainland, saying the pair would be prepared to go after they are elected next March but before their inauguration in May.
Chen timed his announcement to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Kaohsiung Incident (
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
As a victim of the Kaohsiung Incident, Lu said she had been jailed for over 1,900 days because of a 20-minute speech she made at the rally 20 years ago, but that now she was ready to step onto a new stage to lead women in sharing the responsibility of ruling the country.
"Even the United States, which was able to send men to the moon 30 years ago, has failed to put a woman in the Oval Office. We will strive to realize this dream 98 days from now in Taiwan," she said.
Yesterday, on the 20th anniversary of the Kaohsiung Incident, Lu appealed to the public to carefully review the current presidential candidates, especially as to what they had done during the Kaohsiung Incident.
"Before casting your ballots in the presidential election, please make sure you understand that a candidate who did a lot of bad things in the past could not possibly do the right things after being elected, "she said.
It was a clear reference to James Soong (宋楚瑜), former KMT stalwart and now independent presidential candidate, whom DPP leaders have accused of "suppressing democracy" during the Kaohsiung Incident. Soong was Director General of the Government Information Office at the time.
Lu has already obtained the endorsement of influential DPP senior members to team up with Chen.
Following the formal announcement, Lu delivered an acceptance speech, accompanied by 10 "outstanding" women and women legislators.
It was not only for her role in the women's rights movement that Lu received praise yesterday, but also for her efforts in pushing forward Taiwan's democratic reforms.
A few days after the 1979 protest, scores of activists -- including Lu -- were arrested in a crackdown that many say helped unify Taiwan's loosely organized opposition forces. The dissidents went on to form the DPP, Taiwan's largest opposition party.
Chen told his supporters packed into a Taipei hotel auditorium yesterday that he and Lu ``will always pursue democratic reforms and stand on the right side of history.'' He said that the best phrase to describe Lu was one of those ``women who are most beautiful for their devotion to their quests (
Lu, a lawyer and feminist, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on sedition charges but was released in 1985 on medical parole. She served a term in the Legislative Yuan and is currently the commissioner of Taoyuan County.
Chen, 48, a lawyer and former Taipei mayor, became involved in politics by defending activists arrested after the Kaohsiung Incident in 1979.
His campaign staffers have stressed that a female running mate could strengthen his image as a new breed of politician who can bring long-needed reforms to Taiwan.
Lu isn't the first woman to run for vice president in Taiwan, though. In the 1996 presidential election, attorney Wang Ching-feng (?y?M峰) campaigned with independent candidate Chen Li-an (3紡i|w).
Taiwan has arranged for about 8 million barrels of crude oil, or about one-third of its monthly needs, to be shipped from the Red Sea this month to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and ease domestic supply pressures, CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) said yesterday. The state-run oil company has worked with Middle Eastern suppliers to secure routes other than the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes, CPC chairman Fang Jeng-zen (方振仁) said at a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee in Taipei. Suppliers in Saudi Arabia have indicated they
South Korea has adjusted its electronic arrival card system to no longer list Taiwan as a part of China, a move that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said would help facilitate exchanges between the two sides. South Korea previously listed “Taiwan” as “Taiwan (China)” in the drop-down menus of its online arrival card system, where people had to fill out where they came from and their next destination. The ministry had requested South Korea make a revision and said it would change South Korea’s name on Taiwan’s online immigration system from “Republic of Korea” to “Korea (South),” should the issue not be
CCP ‘PAWN’? Beijing could use the KMT chairwoman’s visit to signal to the world that many people in Taiwan support the ‘one China’ principle, an academic said Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday arrived in China for a “peace” mission and potential meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), while a Taiwanese minister detailed the number of Chinese warships currently deployed around the nation. Cheng is visiting at a time of increased Chinese military pressure on Taiwan, as the opposition-dominated Legislative Yuan stalls a government plan for US$40 billion in extra defense spending. Speaking to reporters before going to the airport, Cheng said she was going on a “historic journey for peace,” but added that some people felt uneasy about her trip. “If you truly love Taiwan,
Tainan, Taipei and New Taipei City recorded the highest fines nationwide for illegal accommodations in the first quarter of this year, with fines issued in the three cities each exceeding NT$7 million (US$220,639), Tourism Administration data showed. Among them, Taipei had the highest number of illegal short-term rental units, with 410. There were 3,280 legally registered hotels nationwide in the first quarter, down by 14 properties, or 0.43 percent, from a year earlier, likely indicating operators exiting the market, the agency said. However, the number of unregistered properties rose to 1,174, including 314 illegal hotels and 860 illegal short-term rental
RSS