Former Presidential Office secretary-general Yu Shyi-kun officially launched his campaign for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairmanship in Taipei yesterday, underlining his intent to return the party to its roots by speaking at the DPP's birthplace.
Two days after resigning from his Presidential Office position so that he can run for the party's top post, Yu pledged to regain people's trust in the DPP, retrieve the party's founding spirit and accelerate reforms if he is elected.
He chose the Grand Hotel -- the site where he and other democracy activists founded the DPP -- to hold a news conference to announce his bid.
Yu chaired the secret meeting on Sept. 28, 1986, at the Grand Hotel that established the DPP, which was outlawed at that time since the nation was still under martial law and the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) one-party rule.
Several enlarged pictures recording Yu's participation in the DPP's birth were displayed around the news conference room to emphasize Yu's long history with the party. The title of Yu's campaign slogan, "Unselfish, down-to-earth and insistent," was highlighted at the back of the conference room.
Original spirit
In his statement, Yu said that he had joined the DPP chairmanship race as "an ordinary party member" and that he had decided to run for the position in order to retrieve the noble spirit and actions of the party when it fought for democracy.
"Looking back at the DPP members of that time, each of them advanced bravely and many of them did not hesitate to sacrifice their freedom," Yu said. "I've witnessed the history, and what I want to do now is to get back that unselfish and practical attitude for the party, and for the country."
The DPP's unprecedented setback in the Dec. 3 local government elections represented the people teaching the DPP a lesson, and telling the party to examine whether it had forsaken its dreams, Yu said.
"Now is also the most difficult time for the DPP since its establishment," Yu said. "And as one of the party's initiators, I feel terribly guilty to see such a situation."
Yu said that he believes he has an inescapable responsibility to face people's questions and criticisms since he held many important posts in the Cabinet.
"Over the past five years, the DPP did not neglect carrying out its commitments to people. We did a lot, but we know it was not enough," Yu said. "We talked a lot and we have to do more than that."
Meanwhile, when asked for comment on former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung's (
On Saturday evening, Lin's assistant picked up an application for Lin to run for the post.
also see story:
DPP legislators confused by party icon's latest move
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
RSS