President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), in her capacity as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson, yesterday said that the nine-in-one elections on Saturday are “a battle to defend Taiwanese values” and urged people to protect the nation and its democracy.
Tsai made the remarks at a campaign event for DPP Hsinchu county commissioner candidate Cheng Chao-fang’s (鄭朝方).
Tsai said she is confident that political reforms are moving the nation in the right direction, but still face challenges.
Photo: Tsai Meng-shang, Taipei Times
“People who are against reform or democracy want to see us fail and there is a group of people glaring at us, as if eyeing their prey, hoping to see Taiwan become more chaotic so they can prove democracy has failed,” she said.
She urged proponents of progressive values to temporarily put aside debates on the speed of reform and approaches to it, and come together in the elections to support democracy so that debate could continue under a democratic system.
Tsai also visited Yunlin County and Chiayi City to participate in door-to-door canvassing for Yunlin County Commissioner Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) and Chiayi Mayor Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲), both DPP members seeking re-election.
Elsewhere, DPP New Taipei City mayoral candidate Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and Hsinchu City Mayor Lin Chih-chien (林智堅) joined Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) to canvass in Taoyuan’s Jhongli District (中壢), where they were greeted by residents waving and shouting “dong suan” (凍蒜, “get elected” in Hoklo, commonly known as Taiwanese).
Su held a campaign event in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水) on Friday evening, which ended at 10pm, and was canvassing in the city’s Tucheng District (土城) from 7am yesterday.
Supporters said he appeared energetic, despite saying he had slept for less than five hours the night before.
Su also canvassed in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽) before traveling to Taoyuan to support Cheng.
He attended campaign events in New Taipei City’s Linkou (林口) and Shulin (樹林) districts in the evening.
Additional reporting by Chiu Shu-yu, Hsu Chuo-hsun and Liao Shu-ling
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner