The local elections on Saturday will be a decisive showdown between Taiwan and China because, were the pan-blue camp to win more than half of the constituencies, the legislature would pass laws which would impinge upon Taiwan's sovereignty, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said yesterday.
Chen made the comments while campaigning for former minister of justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南) in Ilan. Whilst on the campaign trail, he shook hands with residents on the streets of both Ilan City and Luodong township (羅東) and issued dire warnings about the implications of a pan-blue victory.
"If the blue camp wins, the [pan-blue dominated] Legislative Yuan would pass a `cross-strait peace advancement bill' (海峽兩岸和平促進法), which would eventually destroy Taiwan's sovereignty," Chen Shui-bian said.
The president added that, in the event of a pan-blue victory, cross-strait policies would have to be tightened further because his administration's top priority is to protect the interests of the Taiwanese people.
On local development issues, Chen Shui-bian urged local residents to have faith in the DPP's promise to make Ilan a more comfortable place to live.
"Chen Ding-nan's commissionership will ensure that the welfare of Ilan residents is given top priority despite the opening of the Taipei-Ilan Expressway," he said.
Saying that Ilan County is a place where democracy is held dear, Chen said that if the DPP were to lose the battle on Saturday, the democratic history that is rooted in Ilan would be totally eradicated.
Ilan County has not been governed by the KMT since Chen Ding-nan defeated his Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rival for the Ilan commissionership in 1981.
"We have to protect the democratic history of Ilan County from being destroyed by the corruption of others," the president said.
Chen alleged KMT candidate Lu Kuo-hua (呂國華) had worked to promote people with gangster connections to governmental positions when he was serving as Ilan mayor.
"If Lu is elected, Ilan will be ruled by gangsters. The situation in Ilan will become as it was in Pingtung County when it was dominated by former commissioner Wu Tzer-yuan [伍澤元] and former county council speaker Cheng Tai-chi [鄭太吉]," Chen said.
In 1996, Wu, a then-KMT member and director of the Taiwan Provincial Government's Planning and Development Department, was charged with corruption. In November 2002, Wu was declared a fugitive by the Taiwan High Court. Cheng was found guilty of murder and executed in August 2000.
Meanwhile, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday campaigned for DPP candidates in Taoyuan County.
Before the election, the nation's top two leaders are making television appearances. Lu took the opportunity to campaign for DPP candidates during an interview on SET TV last night.
Tonight it will be the president's turn to be interviewed by another station in a two-hour program, during which he is likely to stress the DPP's efforts to implement reform.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
RSS