Former vice premier Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was yesterday mentioned as a possible party leader in the wake of the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) defeats in January’s legislative elections and the presidential election last month.
DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) told reporters after the party’s Central Standing Committee meeting yesterday afternoon that he, Chiayi County Commissioner Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) and Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) all considered Tsai a suitable candidate for party chairman, taking into account her expertise on cross-strait relations, economic affairs and her commitment to reform.
“What the party needs right now is someone who can lead the reform effort and is capable of integrating different opinions,” he said. “Reform is the only chance the party has to survive.”
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Chen said that they would team up with the DPP legislative caucus and DPP local chiefs to persuade Tsai to take on the responsibility of leading the party.
Yang praised Tsai’s educational background, political experience, social stature and clean image, saying that she would not only fulfill public expectations but would also help the party garner support from the younger generation and from women.
Yang said they had hoped to see the new party leader chosen via negotiations, but now it looks like there will be a contest, they would try to talk Tsai into standing.
In addition to 73-year-old DPP Legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮), who announced his candidacy on Monday, 82-year-old former senior presidential adviser Koo Kwang-ming (辜寬敏) has also picked up a registration form and is set to make a final decision on whether to run in the next few days.
Some younger party members are also eager to have a try. Straits Exchange Foundation Vice Chairman Michael You (游盈隆) yesterday picked up a registration form, but said he would only stand if there were no other “suitable” candidates.
You defined a “suitable” candidate as someone who had a strong Taiwan-centered consciousness, who was selfless, broad-minded, tolerant and had vision and style. The candidate should be capable of promoting unity inside and outside the party and have the resolution to carry out drastic reform, You said.
You declined to comment on whether Tsai or Council of Agriculture Chairman Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) were suitable to lead the party, saying they deserved credit for coming forward and that the party members would be the judge.
DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday encouraged those interested to register before tomorrow’s deadline. He also welcomed suggestions from younger party members on reforms.
While there is talk of a generational change, Hsieh said older members should not necessarily be discarded.
More than 1,000 younger members have joined the party since it offered the incentive to allow them to vote in the chairmanship election. Hsieh said he hoped to see 1,000 more join before April 25.
In related news, a coalition of pro-independence groups yesterday urged the DPP old guard to make way for the younger generation and to amend party regulations to allow members who have not paid membership fees to run in the election.
They were referring to former Presidential Office secretary-general Chen Shih-meng (陳師孟), who is not qualified to run because he has not paid his membership fees.
Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) said that age should not be a problem. It is important to pass on the torch, but it would violate the party’s founding spirit if there was any infighting during the transition of power between the old and new generations, she said.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard