The founding members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have had different goals for both the future of the party and Taiwan from the day the DPP was established — Sept. 28, 1986. This was the reflection of several founding members in a book documenting the party’s establishment and at a ceremony to launch the book yesterday.
The diversity of DPP members’ political ideology could be regarded as a natural phenomenon, considering the political atmosphere of the dangwai (黨外, “outside the party”) — period before the party was born, said Chen Yi-shen (陳儀深) Academia Sinica research fellow and chief editor of Oral History of the DPP, in which 15 politicians and political advocates are interviewed about the party’s establishment and early days.
“At the time, the DPP was the collection of a group of anti-Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] dissidents that included people with many ideologies, including both Taiwan independence and unification. Their one similarity was their advocacy of freedom and democracy,” Chen said.
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times
Once the DPP resolved to support Taiwan independence, the unificationists left, and the issue of the party’s China policy cam to the fore and remains hotly debated within the party.
Former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), who is known as a moderate on China policy, said in his interview that the DPP should recognize the Republic of China (ROC) and the ROC Constitution and use them as the foundation for fostering better ties with Beijing.
Hsieh, who proposed the party’s name in 1986, was also quoted as saying that adaptation was needed for a return to power and that if the DPP failed to win the presidential election in 2016, the party could become completely marginalized and “disappear.”
Ju Gao-jeng (朱高正), one of the 15 interviewees, was quoted in the book as saying that promoting Taiwan independence had been “the biggest mistake” in the history of the DPP. Ju, who was known for his physical confrontation with KMT politicians when he served as DPP lawmaker, eventually left the party in 1990 and has engaged extensively with Beijing in recent years.
However, there were DPP founding members who stood on the opposite side of the spectrum, including former premier Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃).
Yu, who was also interviewed in the book, said on the sidelines of the book launch yesterday that the DPP’s biggest problem was “the lack of the courage to say out loud what it supported — be it Taiwan independence or normalization of the country” and that this failing could alienate voters.
Meanwhile, Yu warned that the DPP “is looking in the wrong direction” in terms of its future, arguing that winning majority in the Legislative Yuan would be more important than winning the presidential election.
Citing the DPP’s time in power, Yu said the legislature was the final decisionmaker of national policy, adding that the effort to cultivate grassroots organizations would help the party in the presidential election.
Former DPP lawmaker Lin Cho-shui (林濁水), a founding member known for his advocacy and exposition of Taiwan independence, observed that the basic structure for cross-strait relations in the next 20 years have been set, with the DPP and the KMT enjoying advantages in different aspects.
“The DPP would be trusted to protect Taiwan’s sovereignty and distribute wealth fairly while most people believe the KMT is better at maintaining cross-strait stability and economic exchanges. That won’t change in the next 20 years,” Lin said.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS