Eight political parties presented their platforms yesterday in one of the first debates of the election season.
The debate, cohosted by legislative watchdog Citizen Congress Watch (CCW) and Formosa TV (FTV), was the first in a series of televised debates for the elections on Jan. 11, said FTV News vice president Anne Hu (胡婉玲), who moderated the debate with CCW executive director Leo Chang (張宏林).
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), the People First Party (PFP), the New Power Party (NPP), the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), the Taiwan Statebuilding Party, the New Party and the Green Party Taiwan were each represented by two speakers at the event.
Photo: Hsieh Chun-lin, Taipei Times
During the opening statements, DPP legislator-at-large nominee Tung Chien-hung (董建宏) touted his party’s accomplishments, saying that “over the past four years ... we have passed 745 bills.”
The DPP is the “No. 1 brand for democratic reform in Taiwan,” he added.
“The green in Green Party is not the green in the blue-green fight, nor does it belong to the DPP,” Green Party Taiwan legislator-at-large nominee Teng Hui-wen (鄧惠文) said.
“Green Party Taiwan is an international, progressive political party,” she said, adding that the party is an official member of the Global Greens.
“Together, we push for human rights, environmental protection, diverse values, democracy and peace,” she said.
“The two sides [of the Taiwan Strait] must be at peace in order to safeguard Taiwan,” New Party legislator-at-large nominee Wang Ping-chung (王炳忠) said.
“Four years ago, [President Tsai Ing-wen, 蔡英文] promised us the status quo in cross-strait relations could be maintained,” he said. “Today, [Tsai], you have broken the status quo.”
“Dried mango strips” (芒果乾) — a word play on “a sense of the nation’s impending doom” (亡國感) — and hostility between the pro-unification and pro-independence camps have blurred the focus of the elections, TPP legislator-at-large nominee Jang Chyi-lu (張其祿) said, adding that the focus should instead be on confronting important national issues.
The TPP takes a “middle-of-the-road and pragmatic route to transcend blue and green,” he said.
“Equality and justice are the New Power Party’s main focus,” NPP legislator-at-large nominee Claire Wang (王婉諭) said.
The NPP aims to promote equality and justice in all areas, and to change Taiwan, she added.
“A sense of the nation’s impending doom has permeated Taiwan,” Taiwan Statebuilding Party Chairman Chen Yi-chi (陳奕齊) said.
The “anti-China voice,” represented by the party, “must not be absent” from the Legislative Yuan, he added.
“People first” is one of the core values in the movement for equality for people with disabilities, PFP legislator-at-large nominee Eva Teng (滕西華) said, adding that her party has many policy proposals that prioritize people’s needs.
“Has your life improved in the three-plus years since Tsai Ing-wen’s government took office?” KMT legislator-at-large nominee Charles Chen (陳以信) asked.
“If you think it hasn’t ... please support the KMT,” he said. “Let the KMT bring order to chaos. Let us find back Taiwan’s correct values.”
On cross-strait relations, KMT honorary deputy secretary-general Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) said that the “fight China, protect Taiwan” rhetoric cannot solve the nation’s problems.
While the DPP hopes for “peaceful,” “autonomous” and “dignified” talks with China, Beijing must first recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation, DPP spokeswoman Lee Yen-jong (李晏榕) said.
On the US-China trade dispute, NPP legislative candidate Lin Chia-wei (林佳瑋) called it an opportunity for Taiwan, while Charles Chen said there would be no winners.
At the debate, representatives from several parties, including the PFP and the TPP, said that they supported giving lawmakers investigative powers.
In her closing statement, PFP legislator-at-large nominee Chen Yi-chieh (陳怡潔) said Taiwanese should not “out of two rotten apples, select a relatively un-rotten one.”
After the debate, Leo Chang urged voters to be “responsible consumers of politics.”
According to the Central Election Commission, 19 political parties have registered 217 legislator-at-large nominees for the elections.
The organizers of yesterday’s event said that due to its limited resources, it could only invite eight of them for the televised event.
Additional reporting by CNA
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
EVA Airways on Saturday said that it had suspended a pilot and opened an investigation after he allegedly lost his temper and punched the first officer several times as their plane was taxiing before takeoff at Los Angeles International Airport. According to a report published on Thursday by The Reporter, the incident occurred after the flight’s Malaysian first officer tried to warn the Taiwanese pilot, surnamed Wen (文), that he was taxiing faster than the speed limit of 30 knots (55.6kph). After alerting the pilot several times without response, the first officer manually applied the brakes in accordance with standard operating
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
RSS