Influential former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) unexpectedly said he would quit the DPP yesterday, citing his disappointment with the current political situation.
The move came as another public blow to a party still reeling from corruption scandals, factional infighting and an embarrassing defeat in last December's local government election.
Lin yesterday morning issued a public letter announcing his abrupt decision. In the letter, Lin said that he feels sorry to see the nation made increasingly unstable by ongoing fighting between political camps.
"Each election deepens cleav-ages between ethnic groups and social classes, and nourishes hatreds more than ever," Lin said. "Since I have no intention of engaging in party affairs and am not willing to campaign for any public office representing any political party, it does not make sense for me to be a member of the DPP."
"Therefore, I am choosing to ... never belong to any particular political party," Lin said.
`Divine leader'
Lin joined the DPP in 1994 and served as the party's chief counselor in 1996. In 1998, Lin was elected as the eighth DPP chairman and served as the party's campaign manager during its successful presidential campaign in 2000.
Lin has been viewed as the "divine leader" of the DPP because of his political faith. But the source of Lin's influence goes back to a notorious incident during the White Terror that came to be known as "the Lin Family Murder." Lin's seven-year-old twin daughters and his elderly mother were stabbed to death by unknown intruders in Lin's house, which was then on an alley off Xinyi Road.
The murders were widely believed to be politically motivated, since Lin had challenged the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime and was jailed for his participation in the 1979 Kaohsiung Incident.
Stunned party
In response to Lin's announcement, a shocked and puzzled DPP reacted by saying it would do all it can to persuade Lin to stay in the party.
"Former Chairman Lin's personality, patriotism and contribution to Taiwan's democracy have been recognized and praised by the public and all DPP members. Although the DPP is surprised at his decision, it will do its best to persuade him to stay," DPP secretary-general Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) said in a press release.
Acting Chairwoman Annette Lu (
During the DPP chairpersonship by-election campaign, Lin several times openly criticized newly-elected DPP chairperson Yu Shyi-kun in letters and remarks. He blamed Yu for setting a bad example in democratic politics by running for the party chairpersonship when he should have taken responsibility for the DPP's thumping defeat in the Dec. 3 local government elections.
Late in the day, Yu issued a statement in reaction to Lin's withdrawal from the party. Yu said that Lin's choice indicates that the DPP has to strive to recapture the party's founding spirit and faith, and that he will seek Lin's advice on leading the DPP and improving the nation's development if he has a chance to visit Lin.
"No one wants former chairman Lin to leave, and we hope he can stay with us to tackle the party's reconstruction," Yu said. "But I understand that Lin is a man with a strong will and he will not change the decisions he makes."
"We will respect his thinking and decision, and will be more united than ever so that we will not fall short of Lin's expectations," Yu added.
also see story:
DPP legislators want Lin to stay
LIMITS: While China increases military pressure on Taiwan and expands its use of cognitive warfare, it is unwilling to target tech supply chains, the report said US and Taiwan military officials have warned that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could implement a blockade within “a matter of hours” and need only “minimal conversion time” prior to an attack on Taiwan, a report released on Tuesday by the US Senate’s China Economic and Security Review Commission said. “While there is no indication that China is planning an imminent attack, the United States and its allies and partners can no longer assume that a Taiwan contingency is a distant possibility for which they would have ample time to prepare,” it said. The commission made the comments in its annual
DETERMINATION: Beijing’s actions toward Tokyo have drawn international attention, but would likely bolster regional coordination and defense networks, the report said Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s administration is likely to prioritize security reforms and deterrence in the face of recent “hybrid” threats from China, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said. The bureau made the assessment in a written report to the Legislative Yuan ahead of an oral report and questions-and-answers session at the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee tomorrow. The key points of Japan’s security reforms would be to reinforce security cooperation with the US, including enhancing defense deployment in the first island chain, pushing forward the integrated command and operations of the Japan Self-Defense Forces and US Forces Japan, as
IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST: Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu said the strengthening of military facilities would help to maintain security in the Taiwan Strait Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi, visiting a military base close to Taiwan, said plans to deploy missiles to the post would move forward as tensions smolder between Tokyo and Beijing. “The deployment can help lower the chance of an armed attack on our country,” Koizumi told reporters on Sunday as he wrapped up his first trip to the base on the southern Japanese island of Yonaguni. “The view that it will heighten regional tensions is not accurate.” Former Japanese minister of defense Gen Nakatani in January said that Tokyo wanted to base Type 03 Chu-SAM missiles on Yonaguni, but little progress
NO CHANGES: A Japanese spokesperson said that Tokyo remains consistent and open for dialogue, while Beijing has canceled diplomatic engagements A Japanese official blasted China’s claims that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has altered Japan’s position on a Taiwan crisis as “entirely baseless,” calling for more dialogue to stop ties between Asia’s top economies from spiraling. China vowed to take resolute self-defense against Japan if it “dared to intervene militarily in the Taiwan Strait” in a letter delivered Friday to the UN. “I’m aware of this letter,” said Maki Kobayashi, a senior Japanese government spokeswoman. “The claim our country has altered its position is entirely baseless,” she said on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg on Saturday. The Chinese Ministry
RSS