The pan-blue camp will win a majority of seats in the year-end legislative elections, Chinese Nation-alist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) predicted yesterday, while emphasizing that a pan-blue majority will also be beneficial for cross-strait relations.
Speaking to foreign and local media at a press conference yesterday, Lien answered questions about the possibility of his resignation as KMT chairman, his recent call for a new Cabinet and the blue camp's chances in Saturday's legislative elections.
Criticizing the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for attempting to destroy the KMT, Lien said that he did not believe the DPP could solve the cross-strait "problem."
In the 50 years that the KMT was the ruling party, Lien said, Taiwan's economic development and foreign relations were both good, unlike the situation now after Chen's first term.
The KMT supports the status quo, Lien said, and added that within the boundaries of the status quo, he believes there are still a number of issues that can be negotiated with China. Lien was guardedly optimistic throughout the conference, repeatedly stressing his belief that the pan-blue camp will win a majority of seats when the media asked him about alternate scenarios.
Without stating the exact number of seats he expects the alliance to win, Lien told reporters that the pan-blue camp's three campaign strategies -- controlling the number of candidates nominated, strengthening weaker candidates, and allocating votes -- were enough to maintain the majority of seats in the legislature needed to check Chen's "recklessness."
Lien did predict, however, that the pan-blue camp would only win by a narrow margin. When pressed for answers about his controversial call on Sunday for a new Cabinet if the pan-blue camp "wins" the legislative elections, Lien was low key.
Lien said he felt that the elections would bring new hope to the country.
While no one disputes the president's right to nominate Cabinet members, Lien said, he hoped that the government and the leaders of the DPP would allow the emergence of a new and capable governing team when the people's consensus is manifested -- through a pan-blue majority.
"It is very strange. Right now, we have a minority government in power, with the majority in opposition," Lien said, adding that no normal democratic state should be in such a situation.
When questioned by foreign reporters about the pan-blue camp's plans should neither side win a majority, Lien acknowledged this possibility was likely.
However, he said, the pan-blue alliance has many friends among the independent candidates running this year. The pan-blue camp should therefore be able to gain some support among the independent legislative bloc, he said..
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) put Taiwan in danger, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said yesterday, hours after the de facto US embassy said that Beijing had misinterpreted World War II-era documents to isolate Taiwan. The AIT’s comments harmed the Republic of China’s (ROC) national interests and contradicted a part of the “six assurances” stipulating that the US would not change its official position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, Hsiao said. The “six assurances,” which were given by then-US president Ronald Reagan to Taiwan in 1982, say that Washington would not set a date for ending arm sales to Taiwan, consult
A Taiwanese academic yesterday said that Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Wang Xuefeng (王雪峰) disrespected Denmark and Japan when he earlier this year allegedly asked Japan’s embassy to make Taiwan’s representatives leave an event in Copenhagen. The Danish-language Berlingske on Sunday reported the incident in an article with the headline “The emperor’s birthday ended in drama in Copenhagen: More conflict may be on the way between Denmark and China.” It said that on Feb. 26, the Japanese embassy in Denmark held an event for Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s birthday, with about 200 guests in attendance, including representatives from Taiwan. After addressing the Japanese hosts, Wang
RSS