After seven months as vice chairman of the Council for Cultural Affairs, Luo Wen-chia (
"It will be a totally new beginning for me, and the decision will lead to a drastic change in my life. But I feel it's my calling," Luo said yesterday during an interview with the Taipei Times.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
"I'm concerned about the bitter opposition and the quality of lawmakers in the legislature," Luo said, adding that the DPP's minority position in the legislature made it difficult for the Executive Yuan to carry out its policies. "These reasons explain my decision."
To avoid being labeled a "fence sitter," Luo said he would submit his letter of resignation on Monday. Luo said that once the cultural council finds someone to replace him, he'll step down immediately.
"I know it does not take a whole year to prepare for the election, but as long as I have this idea, I have to quit [my current position] right away to prevent people from saying that I am straddling two horses at the same time."
Luo, who has been a principle aide to Chen for almost a decade, has already grabbed the media spotlight for his decision to run for a legislative seat. He'll be the first from Chen's circle of young aides to be tested in the court of public opinion.
A tough campaigner for Chen and renowned for his innovative ideas, how Luo fares in his own campaign will be closely scrutinized by the media and politicians alike.
According to Luo, although he has a keen interest in cultural issues, his current position wasn't suitable to realize his ambitions.
"After seven months, I've run into some difficulties and frustration. A primary problem is that cultural affairs are not considered a highly important issue in the government, which has made it difficult for me to execute my plans," he said.
"I like to dream -- and this is the driving force behind me to push me forward. In the old days, I dreamed one day there would be a transfer of power so that I could devote my energy to make this country a better place. Now that the chance has come, I kind of find myself trapped in a position where my ability can not be brought into full play."
Once in the legislature, Luo hopes to call more attention to issues that he says are often ignored.
"In the past, when the DPP was the opposition, Taiwan seemed to be a more vibrant place where issues such as environmental protection or women's rights received more attention."
But since the DPP took over, the media has relentlessly been focused on financial issues and the government's efforts to boost the stock market and the nation's economy.
"I worry about what would happen to us if such values continue to dominate society. I think politicians and the media should be blamed for today's situation because that's all they talk about," Luo said.
The would-be legislator promised that, if elected, he would be a "different kind of political figure," one that could foster a more tolerable political atmosphere.
"I don't know if I can achieve this goal, but that is my dream," he said.
Luo said that although Taiwan has come a long way -- gaining a free media and the direct election of legislators and the president, for example -- there was still much work that could be done.
"I feel what we should be concerned about at present is the quality of things -- the quality of the environment, the quality of our spiritual life and the quality of politics," he said.
"The transfer of power definitely brings instability, but good politicians should work together to curtail this period as best they can," Luo said. "I'm concerned about the hostility and harsh opposition in the legislature, and I would like to do my utmost to help improve the worsening political situation."
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
BULLY TACTICS: Beijing has continued its incursions into Taiwan’s airspace even as Xi Jinping talked about Taiwan being part of the Chinese family and nation China should stop its coercion of Taiwan and respect mainstream public opinion in Taiwan about sovereignty if its expression of goodwill is genuine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. Ministry spokesman Jeff Liu (劉永健) made the comment in response to media queries about a meeting between former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) the previous day. Ma voiced support for the so-called “1992 consensus,” while Xi said that although the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have “different systems,” this does not change the fact that they are “part of the same country,” and that “external
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source