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.”
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