With the accessibility of the Internet, now is the time to transition from a representative democracy to a direct democracy, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday.
The theme of his mayoral election campaign next year is to be “progressive values,” Ko said during a speech at National Taiwan University on Saturday, adding that the idea came from thinking about how he won the previous election by winning “a battle between generations,” but that it should progress into politics that are value-driven.
Values such as democracy, freedom and openness have become more important, he said, adding that since the city government’s planned budgets are open for public viewing online, city councilors’ supervision would not be needed.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
When asked about his remark yesterday at a rice harvest event in the city’s Beitou District (北投), Ko said that while ancient Greece had direct democracy, it evolved into a system of representative democracy because the population grew.
“With the popularity of the Internet in the 21st century, I think there is another way to appeal to public opinion,” he said. “This should be a transitional period from representative to direct democracy, and the way to make those adjustments can be considered further.”
However, Ko quickly added: “It is not a problem in Taipei, because our councilors are on average very professional. Some even say they are more professional than legislators, so I always make an effort to study the issues brought up by every councilor in council sessions.”
He said he still believes that politics will move toward direct democracy, but how long the transition will take is unknown, maybe up to 100 or 300 years.
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
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
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
RSS