President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen's low-profile behavior has kept many commentators guessing as to the content of his conversations with the many high-ranking DPP officials that have visited his office over the past few days, as well as what he would say when he eventually makes a public statement.
US business leader Harold Geneen once said that "leadership is practised not so much in words as in attitude and in actions." This also applies to Chen, as the importance will not be in what he says, but in what he actually does.
Many pan-green supporters remain fearful of how the president might react to the defeat -- as they remember all too well what happened after the DPP's loss in last year's legislative elections.
At that time, after staying out of the public eye for several days, Chen appeared in public and announced his intention to meet with People First Party Chairman James Soong (
Of course Saturday's results were a heavy blow to the DPP and the Chen administration.
But things must be kept in perspective: these were only local elections, and too much importance should not be attached to them, however disappointing they were. They certainly do not indicate that the majority of Taiwanese favor the pan-blue camp's pro-China stance -- as many local media outlets and some foreign news wires have stated.
While it is understandable that the president may want to map out the DPP's direction with fellow party heavyweights, it is hoped that they did more than discuss who will take up the party vacancies that have arisen as a result of the disastrous election campaign.
After all, the people of Taiwan are more concerned about how their lives can be improved and where Taiwan is heading than which politician gets what.
Chen should have used this time to re-equip himself with the kind of determination that was on display so often during his time as Taipei mayor. He should start by transforming his pledges into concrete actions.
There are a lot of tasks awaiting his attention: for example, sticking to his promise to rectify the 18 percent preferential interest rate for retired public servants, soldiers and teachers, and pushing ahead with the proposed statute on improperly acquired party assets.
When Chen won his first election in 2000, his biography, entitled Son of Taiwan (
Difficult times are when true leadership shines through. Chen, who secured his election victories in 2000 and last year through the backing of the electorate, has the responsibility to live up to their expectations, which were to uphold the nation's interests.
As long as he sticks to his guns and pushes ahead with effective polices that will help realize that goal, the people's confidence in him will soon be restored.
After all, to quote Benjamin Franklin, "Well done is better than well said."
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
RSS