Sun, Jan 04, 2004 page1

• DPP heats up campaign in three counties in north

  NEW OUTLOOK Leaving other campaign themes for the time being, President Chen Shiu-bian and his team focused on the country's future economic well-being

  • By Lin Chieh-yu / STAFF REPORTER
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  Shifting focus from the election campaign themes of referendums and political parties' assets, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday championed the accomplishments of his presidency, claiming that Taiwan's economy is on the mend and urging the public to retain their trust in the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) rule.

  "On the stock market's first day of trading in 2004, it increased by 150 points. I want everybody to know that, in fact, last year alone, the stock market went up by almost 1500 points. This represents a total national estate worth NT$1 trillion, which means that the assets of each of Taiwan's 23 million people increased by NT$164,000 on average. This is a good omen," he said.

  

  President Chen Shui-bian, middle, Vice President Annette Lu and Taipei County Commissioner Su Tseng-chang shovel coal for a symbolic campaign locomotive as the Taipei County headquarters for the DPP's presidential election campaign were set up yesterday.

  PHOTO: SEAN CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES

  "The property market is moving upwards again for the first time in four-and-a-half years, thanks to the government's sound policies and improved efforts. As we can see, the good times are returning; our hopes and dreams are being satisfied," Chen said.

  "And yet, there are still people blowing their own trumpets, seeing only a bleak future. Let me tell everybody; the worst, the bitterest days, are over," he said.

  The DPP's presidential election campaign yesterday centered on northern Taiwan, combining forces in Taipei, Keelung and Ilan Counties for a congress of supporters of the Chen-Lu presidential ticket. Together, Chen and his running mate, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), emphasized the recovering economy and robustly promoted the achievements and on-going reforms of their administration.

  Chen stressed that because of the international economic decline, continuous provocation from China as well as Taiwan's own structural problems, "We have really had a tough time."

  But, he said, in the true spirit of children of Taiwan, we created endless possibilities and completed many tasks, even in difficult circumstances.

  By way of example, Chen said that in the four years of his administration, there had been no collapse of economic institutions and no pilfering of economic institutions' assets like during the years of KMT rule.

  Vice President Annette Lu urged the public to believe in Taiwan's strength and potential and support the government.

  "We rank No. 5 out of 195 countries in the global competitiveness report of the World Economic Forum and we are No. 1 in Asia. Therefore, Taiwanese people should be confident about us and keep faith in Taiwan. How can anyone say Taiwan doesn't have a future?" Lu said.

  She described this year's presidential election as the most difficult campaign ever facing the DPP because it is a battle between "one DPP" versus an alliance of "three and one" parties, which means the pan-blue camp's Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), the People First Party (PFP) and the New Party, and the world's most arbitrary party -- the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

  "Fortunately, we have the support of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and the Taiwanese people, who are all cherishing the hard-obtained fruits of democracy and refuse to buckle under China's threats," Lu said.

  In order to promote Chen's resolution to hold a national referendum on election day to ask China to withdraw all ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan, Lu said that she would push for a national movement of "saving Taiwan with peace," and demand the UN act according to its charter and take seriously Taiwan's justified request for China to remove its missiles.

  "Taiwan doesn't belong only to Taiwanese, but to everyone in the world. Taiwan's pursuit of democracy is like a climb up Jade Mountain (玉山). We hope the Taiwanese public would continue to support us, in order to reach the summit," Lu said.
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