President Chen Shui-bian (
"I must support the determination of Premier Chang [Chun-hsiung (
"I understand that Chairman Lien Chan is not concerned about `saving face,' but I must sincerely express my apology to Lien Chan and to the rest of the nation," Chen said during his video taped address.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
In his comments, Chen said that since this was Taiwan's first transition of power and because he faces a majority in the Legislative Yuan, the new government "was bound to make some mistakes, no matter how hard it tried."
"Since I stepped into office, I've worried considerably about the many problems this country faces, including cross-strait relations and foreign affairs," President Chen said.
"In focusing on resolving some problems, I've overlooked the feelings of some people," he said.
The KMT became irate after the government announced its decision to stop construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant minutes after Chen had held a live televised meeting with Lien on Oct. 27, their first meeting since Lien's loss to Chen in the election.
After the announcement, the KMT called Chen "rude" and Lien Chan had said, "We can't afford to allow the government to be ruled by amateur players."
The furor continued to build as lawmakers soon began considering moving to recall Chen over the policy decision.
Even People First Party Chairman James Soong (
But, just as all of this was coming to a climax, Taiwan was hit with two major disasters, the crash of Singapore Airlines flight SQ006 and Typhoon Xangsane.
The disasters cooled the debate a little, but when President Chen personally called Lien Chan at his home to express his apologies for the ill-suited timing of the announcement cancelling the power plant, he was told that Lien had already gone to bed. Hence, yesterday's broadcasted apology.
It is unclear, however, whether this apology will quiet cries from the opposition to recall the president. The legislature could, on Tuesday, push forward with the recall.
The KMT, which holds a majority in the legislature, was untouched by Chen's contrition.
"We can accept Chen's apology to the nation but it's unnecessary to apologize to Lien Chan," said KMT spokesman Jason Hu (
"As far as I know, the apology has had no affect on the thinking of the KMT's legislative caucus," Hu told reporters.
He also queried the message of the apology saying, "What everyone is concerned about is not Lien Chan's personal feelings."
Hu urged the president to respect the Constitution and to remember the importance of the constitutional powers of both the Legislative Yuan and the Executive Yuan.
"The announcement to stop construction came even before it had been discussed in the legislature," Hu said.
However, just days before the Oct. 27 announcement came, KMT lawmakers were threatening to boycott the budget if the government didn't make a decision on the matter by Nov. 3.
Following Chen's comments, DPP heavyweights in the legislature urged him to take one further step and ask former president Lee to step in and help resolve the dispute.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
BULLY TACTICS: Beijing has continued its incursions into Taiwan’s airspace even as Xi Jinping talked about Taiwan being part of the Chinese family and nation China should stop its coercion of Taiwan and respect mainstream public opinion in Taiwan about sovereignty if its expression of goodwill is genuine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) made the comment in response to media queries about a meeting between former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) the previous day. Ma voiced support for the so-called “1992 consensus,” while Xi said that although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have “different systems,” this does not change the fact that they are “part of the same country,” and that “external
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source