President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) should make the most of his remaining one-and-a-half years in power to “do the right things” that benefit the future of the nation and its people to save him from going down in history as a byword for infamy, an open letter to Ma signed by “an angry ordinary citizen” published yesterday said.
The letter was published in the form of a half-page advertisement on the front page of yesterday’s Chinese-language Apple Daily.
“We should have called you ‘Mr President’ out of courtesy, but we couldn’t compromise ourselves by doing so because you get no respect from us for what you have done, failing to abide by the oath you have sworn,” the letter read.
The letter said there was no sense of joy on Double Ten National Day because Ma’s governance over the past years has led to a collapse of confidence in the country on various fronts: politics, democracy, rule of law and now food safety, referring to the ongoing scandal of cooking oil adulterated with substances not fit for human consumption.
“As the leader of the nation, how could you have said in your National Day speech that ‘we have a better life, become more united, grow more confident and have a stronger democracy’ and with a smile on your face?” the letter read.
After scandal after scandal involving food safety over the years, “we were torn up” to learn that the government has been trying to cover up unlawful practices involving giant food companies and disregarded public health, it said.
“Under your leadership, we not only cannot eat without fear in Taiwan, we cannot hold our heads high in the international community because the food safety scandal has hit the reputation of the nation internationally,” the letter said.
People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) also joined in criticizing Ma’s administration, saying a nation will not prosper and its people will not live in peace without a government capable of guaranteeing food safety.
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