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Chen to hold talks on democracy

A forum on new democracies will be held today in Taipei, where five former world leaders will share their experiences of facilitating political transformation with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), Foreign Minister James Huang (黃志芳) announced yesterday.

Former South Korean president Kim Young-sam, former El Salvadorean president Francisco Flores, former Polish president Lech Walesa, former Mongolian president Punsalmaa Ochirbat and former South African president Frederik de Klerk, will be honorary guests.

Speeches

The guests will deliver speeches on their experiences of leading their countries toward democracy during the "third wave of democratization."

The one-day event will be held by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The Presidential Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are co-sponsoring the initiative.

Huang and Tung Li-wen (董立文), deputy executive director of the TFD, held a news conference yesterday to announce the details of the forum.

Huang said that through the forum Chen hoped to create a regular platform for young democracies and states that are interested in the development of democracy to exchange ideas and experiences and to promote Taiwan's reputation at the international level.

Chen will first lead the five leaders through a photo exhibition entitled "Democratic Corridor" at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, after which the discussion forum will commence, Huang said.

Topics

Transitional justice, constitutional systems, national and ethnic identities, mass media and democratic development will be among the topics for discussion. After the forum, the five leaders will announce a Joint Declaration of the Global Forum on New Democracies.

Asked whether the foundation's decision to keep the names of the five guests of honor secret was a result of pressure from Beijing, Huang said that the organization of the event had gone smoothly and without interference from China.
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