Former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday formally announced his bid for the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) nomination for next year’s presidential election.
Surrounded by about 500 supporters in Taipei City, the former commissioner of Pingtung and Taipei counties emphasized his experience and outlined a plan to tackle what he said were the nation’s main problems — youth unemployment, rising deficits and an aging society.
“We have lost our way. Taiwan has been floating in the open sea,” Su said. “We need a strong leader during times like this, a helmsman who is of strong will.”
Photo: CNA
Su’s address highlighted his administrative experience and ties with rural communities.
“Using my love for this land and my life of experience, I will compete for the DPP nomination and win next year’s presidential election,” he said. “I’ll lead the country to a more prosperous, fair, safe and hopeful future.”
A key election theme, he said, would be changing the country to one “where everyone has a smile on their face.”
The former premier vowed to also deal with sustainable development and national land reform, calling them pressing issues that would increase Taiwan’s competitiveness.
On cross-strait relations, he said that while it was impossible to ignore China, the world’s second-largest economy, “democracy and human rights are values that cannot be put up for sale.”
Next year’s election is seen as potentially the last battle for Su, 63, who is seeking to reverse two election setbacks, first as a vice presidential candidate in 2008 and then in a bid for Taipei City mayor last year.
He will face stiff competition for the DPP nomination from Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), who announced her bid on March 11 and temporarily stepped down as party chairperson to focus on her campaign.
Both have expressed willingness to compromise, but it is unclear what sort of deal could be brokered.
In a sign of what could amount to a tightly fought race, more than a dozen city councilors, legislators, county commissioners and mayors took part in his announcement, suggesting wide support for Su’s campaign.
“We all admired his performance in Pingtung County [as commissioner]. He has talent and we are here to give him our support,” Pingtung County Commissioner Tsao Chi-hung (曹啟鴻) said.
Also present at the announcement was Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德), who missed Tsai’s announcement because of what he called a schedule conflict.
Former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), who had missed Tsai’s event, was also absent yesterday.
Su’s running mate in 2008, Hsieh told a radio show yesterday he believed the former premier’s bid was “a bit unexpected.”
Most people believe Tsai’s poll numbers were higher and that Su “should not register,” Hsieh said.
The presidential campaign is expected to be critical for Su, who has made no attempt to hide his intentions for an eventual bid for the nation’s top post since losing in the Taipei mayoral election last November.
Recent opinion polls have shown Su and Tsai to be in a virtual tie. Both have been canvassing nationwide since the November special municipality elections.
The DPP is believed to be planning on holding a round of informal telephone polls in the next few weeks to give trailing candidates a convincing reason to back down before formal polling begins between April 25 and April 29.
Su has proposed a handshake agreement that would see the trailing candidate in the informal polls concede their campaign, but it is unclear whether Tsai has accepted the proposal.
Su was considered an early favorite for the presidential nomination before last year, despite failing to clinch the party nominations against Hsieh in 2008.
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
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
‘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
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