After an 11-day hiatus, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) returned to the campaign trail last night. Well, sort of. He posted a recorded message on his blog.
Hsieh has canceled all campaign activities since Sept. 28 -- the 21st anniversary of the founding of the DPP. Hsieh's campaign office said he was ill, partly because of a cold and partly as a result of the effort he expended pushing for compromise over the party's "normal country" resolution.
Hsieh appeared spirited in the video, which was made available at 7pm yesterday.
He said he had been "licking his wounds" and "recuperating." Although he had not been talking to many politicians and there was little coverage of him in the media, he said many things had been going on.
He said he was concerned about those affected by Typhoon Krosa, especially in Taipei City.
"Taipei is the capital city but the typhoon claimed so many lives and hurt so many people," he said. "Mother Nature may be ruthless, but the devastation brought by the typhoon also shows the incompetence of mankind. We could have done a better job."
Hsieh, who failed in his bid to be elected mayor of the city, said he could empathize with its residents because, like him, they needed to be looked after.
"When I was sick, my wife told me that I could depend on her," he said. "I think the people of Taiwan also need someone to rely on and that `someone' is the government."
The people will have nobody to rely on if politicians are only concern with themselves, he said.
Hsieh said he will continue to be himself and will not seek to garner votes at the expense of setting a bad example for children.
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
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS