President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday completed the registration process for the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential nomination, calling for public support that would give him four more years to bring peace, prosperity and security to Taiwan.
Surrounded by dozens of so-called “first-time voters” from universities, Ma filled out the registration form at the KMT headquarters as the only hopeful seeking the party’s presidential nomination.
“I am seeking re-election with great caution and care. In the past two years, I’ve carried out most of my campaign promises. However, there’s more to be done and hopefully the people will give me four more years to lead Taiwan forward,” Ma said.
Seeking to expand his support base and attract younger voters, Ma, who doubles as the KMT chairman, joined the students to chant the slogan “vote for Ma Ying-jeou for a more prosperous Taiwan” and promised to create a better environment for subsequent generations.
“I will go hand-in-hand with the young people and fight for the country with everyone,” he said.
One of Ma’s likely opponents in the presidential election, the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), had also invited about 100 college students who are eligible to vote for the first time next year to boost her support when completing the registration process at the DPP headquarters last month.
Ma, who campaigned on the slogan “Move forward, Taiwan. Victory for Taiwan” in 2008, is set to secure the party nomination uncontested as no challengers have come forward.
The KMT Central Standing Committee will formally approve Ma’s nomination as the party’s presidential candidate on May 4, in accordance with the party’s nomination process.
Ma’s re--election bid is confronted with a slow economy and challenges over his administration’s nuclear power policy and a proposed petrochemical plant.
On Friday, Ma declared his opposition against the construction of a proposed Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Co (國光石化科技) naphtha cracker in Changhua County after the project met with growing protests from environmentalists and local residents.
He yesterday reiterated his determination to strike a balance between economic development and environmental protection and promised to seek social and environmental justice if re-elected.
“Economic developments should not cause an unbearable impact on the environment or our lands will suffer permanent damage,” he said.
He touted what he called his achievements in reviving the economy and tackling the issue of skyrocketing housing prices via a planned luxury tax and vowed to further improve the economy so that “everyone feels the benefit of the economic growth” and shares the fruits of a better economy.
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