Despite the nation’s serious political partisanship, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said that a consensus over President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) ineptitude has formed between the pan-green and pan-blue camps while announcing her five reform proposals.
“Negative sentiment on Ma’s governance has become a consensus between the pan-blue and pan-green camps, as even Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) has said publicly that his administration’s performance has been disagreeable, triggering complaints from the public,” Tsai said at a campaign rally in Kaohsiung.
“That an incumbent president should be described in such a fashion by his own party’s presidential candidate is pitiful,” Tsai added.
Photo: CNA
Tsai said now is the time for the entire nation to stand united, as Ma’s government has failed to solve a number of challenges facing the nation, including an aging population, the design of a 12-year compulsory education plan and low starting salaries for college graduates; instead, it has created more problems.
“While my opponents are trying to rally their parties, I am trying to rally the entire nation,” Tsai said. “There will certainly be pain in the process of reform, but giving up on reforms because of fear of pain shows poor leadership.”
“I will win people’s hearts with reform, even if that means upsetting vested interests, because I should be responsible for the nation’s future, not for those of vested interests,” she said.
Tsai received a warm welcome from a cheering crowd of more than 1,500 when she appeared at a rally at the International Convention Center Kaohsiung with Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊), who is Tsai’s campaign manager.
Tsai used the occasion to announce her five reform proposals: restoring justice for the young generation, improving government efficiency, reforming the legislature, pursuing transitional justice and ending social polarization.
“It is especially important, but very hard, to end social polarization. However, that is the responsibility of the nation’s leader,” Tsai said. “I promise that, even if the DPP wins a majority in the legislature, we will not ‘take the entire bowl.’ We will form an alliance with progressive forces to attract more people into the reform movement.”
Chen said that what people in Kaohsiung most complain about is the unbalanced development between north and south, adding: “We have to speak with our votes next year to not only get Tsai elected, but also secure a DPP majority in the legislature.”
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
RSS