Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) yesterday announced that he would not be President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) running mate in next year’s presidential election, adding that it was the “best decision” he could make for the president and the nation.
In an open letter on Facebook, Chen said that by next year he would have completed what he had signed up for when he agreed to join the Tsai administration almost four years ago.
To help the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) remain in power, ensure the survival of Taiwan’s sovereignty and transform the economy, the party needs to unite to give Tsai its support, he said.
Photo: CNA
It has been a pleasure to take on the responsibility of reform, which has not been an easy path, but the criticism the DPP has faced in the more than three years since it won power were a necessary price to pay for reform, he said.
He entered politics to be the humblest of civil servants, so that Taiwan could become a better nation and people could have better lives, he added.
Chen said he hopes the public would cherish Tsai, who has always been “brave in doing the right thing,” and that the DPP would have the wisdom to make the correct decisions to keep Taiwan a free, democratic, prosperous and strong nation.
Although he would assume a different role, his thoughts would remain with the party, he said, adding that he had informed Tsai of his decision.
Chen’s announcement has reportedly raised anticipation among DPP members of a Tsai-Lai ticket, after former premier William Lai (賴清德) on Monday last week also registered for the party’s presidential primary.
Tsai, who also registered for the party’s primary last week, expressed her gratitude to Chen on Facebook, adding that she was impressed that his decision was made for the sake of party unity.
Several DPP lawmakers yesterday said the party has the best prospect of winning next year’s presidential election with a Tsai-Lai ticket.
DPP Legislator Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) said that Chen Chien-jen’s move paved the way for a Tsai-Lai ticket and applauded his decision at this “critical juncture.”
DPP Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) said that a Tsai-Chen Chien-jen ticket is not yet impossible, as the outcome would ultimately depend on the decision of each candidate.
DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) praised Chen Chien-jen’s “selfless” move, saying that it was meant to facilitate coordination among the party’s presidential hopefuls.
However, DPP Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文), who has openly expressed his support for Lai, said that Lai is unlikely to drop out of the primary, as he has a strong sense of responsibility and his supporters would not approve of such a move.
The paramount chief of a volcanic island in Vanuatu yesterday said that he was “very impressed” by a UN court’s declaration that countries must tackle climate change. Vanuatu spearheaded the legal case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, which on Wednesday ruled that countries have a duty to protect against the threat of a warming planet. “I’m very impressed,” George Bumseng, the top chief of the Pacific archipelago’s island of Ambrym, told reporters in the capital, Port Vila. “We have been waiting for this decision for a long time because we have been victims of this climate change for
Rainfall is expected to become more widespread and persistent across central and southern Taiwan over the next few days, with the effects of the weather patterns becoming most prominent between last night and tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Independent meteorologist Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said that based on the latest forecast models of the combination of a low-pressure system and southwesterly winds, rainfall and flooding are expected to continue in central and southern Taiwan from today to Sunday. The CWA also warned of flash floods, thunder and lightning, and strong gusts in these areas, as well as landslides and fallen
MASSIVE LOSS: If the next recall votes also fail, it would signal that the administration of President William Lai would continue to face strong resistance within the legislature The results of recall votes yesterday dealt a blow to the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) efforts to overturn the opposition-controlled legislature, as all 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers survived the recall bids. Backed by President William Lai’s (賴清德) DPP, civic groups led the recall drive, seeking to remove 31 out of 39 KMT lawmakers from the 113-seat legislature, in which the KMT and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) together hold a majority with 62 seats, while the DPP holds 51 seats. The scale of the recall elections was unprecedented, with another seven KMT lawmakers facing similar votes on Aug. 23. For a
All 24 lawmakers of the main opposition Chinese Nationalists Party (KMT) on Saturday survived historical nationwide recall elections, ensuring that the KMT along with Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) lawmakers will maintain opposition control of the legislature. Recall votes against all 24 KMT lawmakers as well as Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) and KMT legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁) failed to pass, according to Central Election Commission (CEC) figures. In only six of the 24 recall votes did the ballots cast in favor of the recall even meet the threshold of 25 percent of eligible voters needed for the recall to pass,