The crushing defeat the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) received in Saturday’s nine-in-one elections proved that public is not buying into the empty promises of reforms by President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration and has chosen to embrace change, civic groups said.
Humanist Education Foundation executive director Joanna Feng (馮喬蘭) said the election results symbolized a new force emerging in the nation.
“The different environments in which younger people have grown up inspire them to ask society to make changes for the improvement of their future,” Feng said.
The wish to rid society of ancient historic baggage and stop collusion between businesses and the government is not particular to younger people, and instead constitutes a social consensus, Feng said, adding that it was with this in mind that voters cast out the “elitist families.”
Ma has continually used the economy and the so-called “China factor” to threaten people almost as if he thinks they are ignorant, while his administration’s policies heavily favor the corporate sector and disregard the livelihoods of common Taiwanese, National Alliance of Parents’ Organizations chief executive Gordon Hsieh (謝國清) said.
National Federation of Teachers Unions deputy secretary-general Lo Te-shui (羅德水) said the results were a vote of “No confidence” in Ma’s administration and also reflect a call for a generational transition.
“The most valuable aspect of a democratic society is the ability to teach whoever is in power a lesson with votes,” he added.
Taiwan Labor Front secretary-general Sun Yu-lien (孫友聯) said that despite the KMT’s claims of prioritizing the economy, there is an increasing division between poor people and wealthy people.
“The central government’s arrogance is made evident by multiple policies, including those in the cross-strait service trade pact alongside the administration’s continued efforts to lower minimum wages for workers and its pandering to corporate groups,” Sun said.
“Events such as the rallies over the death of army corporal Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘) last year and the Sunflower movement in March have taught members of the public that if they truly stand up against issues, they can make changes,” Sun said, adding that this mindset can be seen from the increased voter turnout among younger people.
Taiwan Alliance for Advancement of Youth Rights and Welfare secretary-general Yeh Ta-hua (葉大華) said Ma’s government has ignored the voices of the public for far too long, adding that Taiwanese — especially the younger generation — wish to end the uneven distribution of resources.
“Their actions in multiple rallies over the past few years demonstrate their discontent with the government’s evident tilt toward the corporate sector, as well as the ‘cozying up’ among cross-strait political elites,” Yeh said, adding that this was a key factor leading many members of younger generations to participate in the elections.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS