The public should ask former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Shih Ming-teh (施明德), who initiated the anti-Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) demonstrations, if he has an exit plan rather than asking the administration, DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun said yesterday.
"It seems as if the media are helping him to force the DPP to come up with an exit plan for him," Yu said. "I'm in favor of dialogue and negotiation and I'd be very interested in being part of it if there is such an opportunity. However, it would be a better idea for Shih himself to think of a plan to end the street protests he started."
Yu made the remarks yesterday morning while addressing a forum organized by the DPP to discuss constitutional reform.
The DPP's Central Executive Committee is scheduled to discuss, and finalize, its version of constitutional amendments when the committee meets on Oct. 4.
Yu said that the administration was duty-bound to protect the right of legal assembly and marches, but Shih and his followers should go home after they fully express their opinions.
"Things should go back to normal and people must switch their focus to improving the economy," he said.
Claiming that the "red terror" created by Shih's anti-Chen campaign was related to constitutional reform, Yu said the violence that had broken out over the past few days between supporters and opponents of Chen had a lot to do with the non-peaceful means adopted by Shih's camp.
The problem was compounded by some media outlets' around-the-clock broadcasts of the protests and protest organizers' use of provocative language.
"The media are in fact a source of violence," he said. "I'm asking them to exercise self-restraint and refrain from running sensational reports or footage of the demonstrations."
Yu also asked those who use peace and honesty as a pretext to stir up unrest to stop such actions, and urged them to instead commit themselves to pushing for constitutional reform.
Commenting on the remark by former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) that the DPP had mobilized its members to counter Shih's campaign, Yu said that his party did not organize the counter-protest and that protesters attended the rally voluntarily.
Lee also said that Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
Yu yesterday said that dialogue was good no matter who called the meeting.
DPP legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said that he did not think that anyone could resolve the current political deadlock.
"The time is not yet ripe," he said. "The problem must eventually be resolved through political negotiations, but I don't see any opportunity for that happening now."
Ker said that he agreed with Lee that Ma was not a suitable person to invite political leaders for a meeting to help defuse political tensions.
"Ma, who has lost objectivity in the handling of his party's ill-gotten assets, cannot play a good role," Ker said. "If he wants to fight against corruption, shouldn't he release his party's assets first?"
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS