Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) called for solidarity as he was sworn in as party chairman yesterday.
"We lost in the first half of the game, but we must win back confidence, hope and integrity in the second half," he said, referring to the legislative elections last Saturday and the presidential election on March 22.
Hsieh said the party had its back to the wall.
"We can only march forward and work hard," he said. "We are in a similar state to when the party was established 20 years ago. Apart from a nearly meaningless minority in the legislature, we have nothing. We must fight to survive."
Hsieh said he realized the presidential contest would be a tough one and expected the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to exploit the results of the legislative elections.
Saying the DPP had no option but to unite, Hsieh said the onus was on the party to convince the public that a divided government could function.
RATIONALIZATION
During the party Central Executive Committee meeting that followed the swearing-in ceremony, Hsieh asked the party's newly elected legislators-at-large to establish joint service centers in light of the fact that the party's number of seats had been dramatically reduced.
Hsieh also asked the Executive Yuan to work out a plan to subsidize low-income individuals who cannot afford to pay their health insurance bills.
The committee, meanwhile, agreed that former DPP legislator Tuan Yi-kang (
Amid calls for certain Cabinet officials to be held responsible for the party's elections defeat, DPP Central Standing Committee member Huang Ching-lin (
inappropriate
Hsieh said after the committee meeting that it was inappropriate to apportion blame and that those bent on doing so should not be involved in the party's presidential campaign.
He likened these critics to camels in a caravan that were too tired, hungry or thirsty to continue.
Huang Ching-lin said Hsieh's comment was inappropriate and urged the presidential candidate to keep everyone onboard for the sake of party unity.
Hsieh said he had not addressed his comment at anyone in particular.
DPP Cultural and Information Department Director Hsieh Hsin-ni (謝欣霓) said the party would listen to the public and it was meaningless to hold anyone accountable for the election defeat.
"We could have criticized ourselves and debated where we went wrong, but we don't have much time for that because the presidential election is looming," she said.
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
HOTEL HIRING: An official said that hoteliers could begin hiring migrant workers next year, but must adhere to a rule requiring a NT$2,000 salary hike for Taiwanese The government is to allow the hospitality industry to recruit mid-level migrant workers for housekeeping and three other lines of work after the Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal by the Ministry of Labor. A shortage of workers at hotels and accommodation facilities was discussed at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee. A 2023 survey conducted by the Tourism Administration found that Taiwan’s lodging industry was short of about 6,600 housekeeping and cleaning workers, the agency said in a report to the committee. The shortage of workers in the industry is being studied, the report said. Hotel and Lodging Division Deputy Director Cheng
TOKYO SUMMIT: The new Japanese PM’s words have demonstrated Japan’s ‘firm position on urging the prioritization of cross-strait peace,’ the foreign ministry said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) yesterday thanked US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for supporting peace in the Taiwan Strait, a day after the two at a summit in Tokyo emphasized the importance of regional stability and ahead of a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea today. The previous day’s meeting was the first time Takaichi had met with the US leader since becoming Japanese prime minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Since taking office on Tuesday last week, Takaichi has urged the international community to
RSS