President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday defended his administration’s anti-corruption efforts, promising to turn the nation into a model of clean government, while challenging the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) over its integrity.
“In the past three years, we probed corruption cases across party lines ... Our investigations into corruption cases sent a clear message that I will not allow bribery and corruption as long as I am the president,” Ma said at the party congress of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which officially nominated Ma as its presidential candidate for next year’s presidential election.
Ma’s remarks yesterday came after former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) was indicted on Thursday on charges of embezzling US$7.8 million from secret diplomatic funds. Lee on Friday dismissed the corruption charges as groundless, while Ma said the indictment was not politically motivated.
Photo: CNA
In his address, Ma promised not to begin political negotiations with China if re-elected, adding that his administration would continue to promote peace and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait.
Amid cheers of “Four More Years!” from party delegates, Ma, who doubles as KMT chairman, defended the government’s cross-strait policies, saying they had stabilized relations with China. Ma added that the government would maintain the “status quo” through his “three noes” under the -framework of the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution.
Ma’s “three noes” refer to no discussion of unification with Beijing during Ma’s presidency, no pursuit of, or support for, de jure independence and no use of force to resolve cross-strait disputes.
PHOTO: CNA
“I will not start political negotiations on unification across the Taiwan Strait [if re-elected], and I will continue to oppose Taiwanese independence and any use of force to solve cross-strait problems,” he said.
Ma rejected DPP accusations that he and the KMT were pro-China, saying that moves by DPP government heads, including Greater Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊), to promote agricultural products in China showed that cross-strait policies brought prosperity to Taiwan.
Ma also touted his government’s economic achievements since he took office, saying that the nation’s economic growth in the past six quarters had averaged 6 percent.
Ma, 61, will campaign against DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in the presidential election to be held on Jan. 14.
Aside from formally approving Ma’s candidacy, the KMT national congress also approved his running mate, Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), as the party’s vice presidential candidate.
The party congress was held in Greater Taichung to consolidate support in central and southern Taiwan.
KMT heavyweights, including Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), former KMT chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and more than 1,000 party delegates from around the country gathered at the event to campaign for Ma, Wu and legislative nominees.
Former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰), as he was overseas, was absent.
Ma acknowledged facing a tough battle in the upcoming elections and called for unity among party members.
“Give me four more years, we will make Taiwan better,” he said.
At a separate setting yesterday, Tsai, addressing Ma’s cross-strait policy on the sidelines of a campaign event, said that closer ties with China had come at the expense of Taiwan’s sovereignty.
“The DPP doesn’t oppose cross-strait ties, but Taiwan should protect its own sovereignty and dignity when it comes to China,” Tsai said. “It’s one thing to develop [cross-strait] relations, but another to overly depend on China and sell out Taiwan — the two shouldn’t be intermingled.”
DPP spokesman Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) criticized Ma’s 6-3-3 campaign pledge, which he made in 2008, questioning how close Taiwan was to the goals of a US$30,000 per capita income and 3 percent unemployment.
“The president waves a bunch of numbers and figures to try and sugarcoat the fact that there have in fact been no accomplishments,” Chen said. “Since [he took] over, Taiwan has had the highest unemployment, lowest salaries and lowest GDP per capita among the Four Asian Tigers.”
Chen also pointed to a number of campaign pledges that had yet to be delivered, including the delayed National Palace Museum southern branch in Chiayi County and a planned free-trade port zone in Greater Kaohsiung.
Speaking on Lee’s indictment and remarks the president made on corruption, Chen called on the Ma government and the judiciary to remain neutral.
“If the justice system becomes a political attack tool, it will end in its [the government’s ] downfall,” he added.
Former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰), as he was overseas, was absent.
Ma acknowledged facing a tough battle in the upcoming elections and called for unity among party members.
“Give me four more years, we will make Taiwan better,” he said.
At a separate setting yesterday, Tsai, addressing Ma’s cross-strait policy on the sidelines of a campaign event, said that closer ties with China had come at the expense of Taiwan’s sovereignty.
“The DPP doesn’t oppose cross-strait ties, but Taiwan should protect its own sovereignty and dignity when it comes to China,” Tsai said. “It’s one thing to develop [cross-strait] relations, but another to overly depend on China and sell out Taiwan — the two shouldn’t be intermingled.”
DPP spokesman Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) criticized Ma’s 6-3-3 campaign pledge, which he made in 2008, questioning how close Taiwan was to the goals of a US$30,000 per capita income and 3 percent unemployment.
“The president waves a bunch of numbers and figures to try and sugarcoat the fact that there have in fact been no accomplishments,” Chen said. “Since [he took] over, Taiwan has had the highest unemployment, lowest salaries and lowest GDP per capita among the Four Asian Tigers.”
Chen also pointed to a number of campaign pledges that had yet to be delivered, including the delayed National Palace Museum southern branch in Chiayi County and a planned free-trade port zone in Greater Kaohsiung.
Speaking on Lee’s indictment and remarks the president made on corruption, Chen called on the Ma government and the judiciary to remain neutral.
“If the justice system becomes a political attack tool, it will end in its [the government’s ] downfall,” he added.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VINCENT Y. CHAO
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