President Chen Shui-bian (
"The old age of conflict and confrontation has passed," Chen said in his Lunar New Year speech. "The 21st century is a new age of conciliation, cooperation and peace. The two sides of the Taiwan Strait should lay down their old baggage and initiate interaction with a new vision and a new breath," the president said.
He said that both sides should continue to value peace as their primary goal, "and reopen dialogue with the greatest wisdom and magnanimity."
Chen made his Lunar New Year TV speech last night, wishing the entire population a happy new year in four local languages: Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka and an Aboriginal language.
In keeping with recent custom, TV channels broadcast the president's speech at 6pm, the time that Chinese families traditionally eat their dinner on the last day of the passing lunar year.
The president said that everyone in the country should approve of one another's efforts and encourage each other. "Everyone should be confident in Taiwan's economic development," he said. Chen then engaged in self-criticism of the DPP government's performance, but promised the government would work harder to improve in the coming year.
"If the new government did not satisfy the people last year, this will be the incentive to pressure all officials to improve," Chen said.
Speaking on the year-end elections, Chen pledged that the polls would be "clean and just."
"The legislative election and election of local administrative chiefs will be the first democratic achievement since power was transferred last May," Chen said. "I hope all political parties will jointly set another democratic example in the elections."
The president also mentioned the controversial Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (
"According to our Constitution, the economy and science are just as important as environmental protection," Chen said, "and all of those elements should be equally developed." Chen reiterated that the power plant was not only an issue relating to economic development or the energy supply, but also concerns the welfare and survival of future generations.
"There is no political deadlock which cannot be resolved," Chen added, "and, therefore, both the legislative and executive branches should act in accordance with the Constitution and negotiate in accordance with the spirit of the ruling made by the Council of Grand Justices.
"The final decision should be made with wisdom and should help stabilize the political situation and benefit all the people," Chen said.
"If necessary, I will personally invite the two branches of government to negotiate the nuclear power plant issue," Chen added.
The Legislative Yuan will hold a special session on Jan. 30 to Jan. 31 to hear Premier Chang Chun-hsiung's (
The opposition alliance and the ruling DPP, however, remain at loggerheads about whether it will be legal to vote during the special session to finally decide the fate of the nuclear power plant.
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