Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) drew comparisons between his “One Side, One Country” Alliance and the US “Tea Party” movement yesterday, saying that they both “insist on the most basic principles” and defend fundamental ideas.
In a statement that will be released by the Neo Formosa Magazine on Wednesday, he says the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) failed to stand against the cross-strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) and suggests his alliance is a growing political movement.
Chen said that since the US Republican Party lost the 2008 -presidential election, it had “returned to its roots” by stressing basic party ideas and principles. This initiative, he said, was the reason behind the latest polls showing the Republicans leading the Democrats in the run up to the US Senate elections next month.
“This was different from the DPP,” he said. “After losing the 2008 presidential election, the DPP has compromised and walked the so-called middle road. It hasn’t emphasized its basic principles and the changes in ideology have left supporters concerned.”
It was the reason why he founded the “One Side, One Country” Alliance, he said. The group, which includes about 40 DPP city -councilor candidates and another five independents, has been criticized in some opposition party circles for its more radical ideas, saying it could widen fissures in the DPP.
Relating it to the alliance, he calls the Tea Party movement a group that supports lower taxes, smaller government and a free market economy. The movement has received the good wishes of many in the Republican Party and has toppled some politicians that were involved in “compromises,” he said.
“There are many similarities between Taiwan’s One Side, One Country Alliance and the US Tea Party movement. Both support the most basic ideas and will remain loyal to the most fundamental -principles,” Chen said.
The ideas include a belief that Taiwan and China are two separate countries, Chen wrote, adding that the group also opposed a common market with China and the ECFA.
The piece, the latest in a series titled “A-Bian’s Notes” is titled “Don’t ever underestimate the power of we the people” and is based on comments by Tea Party Senate candidate Christie O’Donnell.
The biweekly magazine, published by an organization with close links to Chen, publishes some of his writings from the Taipei Detention Center, where he is detained as he appeals a guilty verdict on charges of embezzling state funds, forgery and money laundering.
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
The Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,