President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday accepted the role of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman, promising to lead the party to victory in next year's legislative and presidential elections.
Chen also announced that Deputy Presidential Office Secretary-General Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and DPP Secretary-General Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) would swap positions.
Chen told a press conference that the DPP position was not an extension of his powers, but rather of his responsibility, adding that he would like to see those insisting on Taiwan-centered policies and pursuing social justice continue to serve the 23 million people of Taiwan.
Describing his second job as being a "carrier of a sedan chair," Chen said he and DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) would not have problems coordinating their efforts because he felt that Hsieh should decide on matters of campaign strategy.
"Those who help carry the sedan chair must not drive away its occupant," he said. "The sedan's occupant gives orders and tells the carriers where to go, while the carriers must warn the occupant about any dangers so he can decide where to go."
Chen called former DPP chairman Yu Shyi-kun irreplaceable, adding that it would be a pity if Yu did not participate in the campaign team.
Chen said that since he would be out of the country for four days, he had asked Cho to consult with Yu, Hsieh and his running mate Su Tseng-chang (
Chen said he hoped to recruit other talented people to work with the DPP and see outstanding legislators work for the party's goals.
Looking ahead, Chen said that the referendum on whether the nation should apply for UN membership under the name "Taiwan" would be the "goal and sole focal point" of the elections.
He said the Referendum Law (
With the DPP having reached the second phase of the application process for holding a referendum, Chen said that he hoped the referendum would be held alongside the presidential election on March 22.
Chen said that he did not think the Constitution would be amended or a new constitution enacted before March next year because the legislature had no plans to do so and because it would require approval of three quarters of the Legislative Yuan.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus ridiculed Chen for accepting the DPP chairmanship, saying that it would be easier for him to "embezzle" public funds once in control of both the DPP and the government.
At a separate press conference, KMT legislative whip Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) urged the president to reflect on his administrative performance over the past seven years as well as Standard & Poor's latest economic evaluation of the nation.
The ratings service gave Taiwan a negative outlook on Wednesday based on what is said were long-term problems, including cross-strait tensions. Of the Asia-Pacific countries rated in the report, only Taiwan and Fiji received negative ratings.
Additional reporting by Flora Wang
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to