Presidential elections in democratic countries are important tests of the candidates' characters. Unfortunately, presidential elections in this country have yet to rise about the level of mudslinging contests, with political parties and politicians appearing more interested in character assassination than policy proposals.
Such tactics are not without risks. Go too far and the accuser may lose his or her own credibility as well as votes. As renowned academic Liao Shu-tsung (
First, it surprisingly used remarks by Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (
Another example is the widespread media coverage of allegations against the government and the president by white-collar fugitive Chen Yu-hao (
How can Chen Yu-hao's self-serving claims be seen as anything more than a bid to sway the election and perhaps win a pardon if the pan-blue camp wins? This is a man who has been charged with embezzling NT$800 million from Tung Hua Development Corp and owes more than NT$23 billion to state-run banks. He has taken refuge in a country that harbors grave enmity against this nation and refuses to return home to face investigation. Why should anyone believe anything he says unless he is willing himself to stand up in court to face the charges against him?
Even if the accusations Chen Yu-hao has leveled are proven one day, the nation's judiciary is capable of taking action against any government official or citizen who commits crimes. Given concrete evidence, no one is above the law in this country, not even the president.
The pan-blue camp appears to have forgotten that what the voters care most about when it comes to presidential hopefuls is their personal character, particularly whether they are trustworthy. Perhaps they don't want to remember that it was the Chung Hsing Bills Finance embezzlement scandal that cost PFP Chairman James Soong (
The pan-blue camp is running scared. It appears willing to stop at nothing -- from distortion to outright lies -- to attack the pan-green camp, while suffering from convenient amnesia when it comes to its own candidates' past actions and statements. Its fear is understandable -- if it loses this election, the KMT is history. The alliance's actions have been a disappointment to voters. They should respond accordingly come election day.
When US budget carrier Southwest Airlines last week announced a new partnership with China Airlines, Southwest’s social media were filled with comments from travelers excited by the new opportunity to visit China. Of course, China Airlines is not based in China, but in Taiwan, and the new partnership connects Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport with 30 cities across the US. At a time when China is increasing efforts on all fronts to falsely label Taiwan as “China” in all arenas, Taiwan does itself no favors by having its flagship carrier named China Airlines. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is eager to jump at
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