President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) sought to show his goodwill yesterday, saying he is willing to meet Chinese Nationalist Party Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) and to form a task force to bring about ethnic harmony.
Chen's offer was immediately rejected by the blue-camp leaders.
PHOTO: CNA
"My last battle has been fought," Chen told 11 leaders of social groups at the Presidential Office. "I am the president of all 23 million Taiwanese people, not just those 6.47 million voters [who voted for me], so I am going to listen to all kinds of voices, especially to those who opposed me."
"Mr. Lien and Mr. Soong suggested having a meeting with me, which is what I expected, and I have heard those criticisms from my respected opponents," Chen said.
"I would like to exchange points of view with them and discuss how to rule the country, as well as how to ease ethnic conflicts," he said.
Chen also urged the opposition chairmen to call off demonstrations in front of the Presidential Office, saying this would provide a reasonable atmosphere for their meeting.
Chen and Vice President Annette Lu (
Chen's guests said they hoped the president could put aside ideology and tolerate the emotional reaction of the demonstrators. They called on Chen to work toward ending ethnic conflict.
Chen said he would deal with the demonstrators peacefully and said the major effect of the election was to remind him to review mistakes.
"My escaping death has changed my view of life. I fully realize my duty for the next four years," he said.
Chen said he will follow Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh's (
The social leaders meeting with the president said they expected him to work toward a recount to dispel the concerns of opposition supporters.
"The dignity of the justice system must be defended. Therefore, we urge both sides to respect the justice system in adjudicating the election dispute and to accept the result," said C. V. Chen (
C. V. Chen said the president must still do his best to realize a speedy recount.
Michael Hsiao (蕭新煌), an Academia Sinica sociologist and national policy adviser to the president, said that while the government must tolerate demonstrators, Chen Shui-bian should respect his supporters' feelings, adding they have been denied the opportunity to celebrate his victory to avoid provoking the opposition.
Chiu Hei-yuan (
"Our society does have ethnic conflict, which no one can ignore. We suggest the president set up a task force for ethnic harmony," Chiu said.
The opposition alliance turned down Chen Shui-bian's offer last night, rejecting a condition that opposition protesters must disperse.
"His preconditions are not reasonable. What we request is for him to speak to us personally," Soong said on the sidelines of a news conference.
In his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) quoted the Taiwanese song One Small Umbrella (一支小雨傘) to describe his nation’s situation. Wong’s use of such a song shows Singapore’s familiarity with Taiwan’s culture and is a perfect reflection of exchanges between the two nations, Representative to Singapore Tung Chen-yuan (童振源) said yesterday in a post on Facebook. Wong quoted the song, saying: “As the rain gets heavier, I will take care of you, and you,” in Mandarin, using it as a metaphor for Singaporeans coming together to face challenges. Other Singaporean politicians have also used Taiwanese songs
NORTHERN STRIKE: Taiwanese military personnel have been training ‘in strategic and tactical battle operations’ in Michigan, a former US diplomat said More than 500 Taiwanese troops participated in this year’s Northern Strike military exercise held at Lake Michigan by the US, a Pentagon-run news outlet reported yesterday. The Michigan National Guard-sponsored drill involved 7,500 military personnel from 36 nations and territories around the world, the Stars and Stripes said. This year’s edition of Northern Strike, which concluded on Sunday, simulated a war in the Indo-Pacific region in a departure from its traditional European focus, it said. The change indicated a greater shift in the US armed forces’ attention to a potential conflict in Asia, it added. Citing a briefing by a Michigan National Guard senior
CHIPMAKING INVESTMENT: J.W. Kuo told legislators that Department of Investment Review approval would be needed were Washington to seek a TSMC board seat Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) yesterday said he received information about a possible US government investment in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and an assessment of the possible effect on the firm requires further discussion. If the US were to invest in TSMC, the plan would need to be reviewed by the Department of Investment Review, Kuo told reporters ahead of a hearing of the legislature’s Economics Committee. Kuo’s remarks came after US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Tuesday said that the US government is looking into the federal government taking equity stakes in computer chip manufacturers that
CLAMPING DOWN: At the preliminary stage on Jan. 1 next year, only core personnel of the military, the civil service and public schools would be subject to inspections Regular checks are to be conducted from next year to clamp down on military personnel, civil servants and public-school teachers with Chinese citizenship or Chinese household registration, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Article 9-1 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) stipulates that Taiwanese who obtain Chinese household registration or a Chinese passport would be deprived of their Taiwanese citizenship and lose their right to work in the military, public service or public schools, it said. To identify and prevent the illegal employment of holders of Chinese ID cards or
RSS