The nation's leaders yesterday sent goodwill to the people to welcome the beginning of the Year of Goat, with President Chen Shui-bian (
The president and his wife, Wu Shu-chen (
Thousands of supporters waited, some for several hours, in front of Chen's home to receive a red envelope containing NT$200.
While the money would not go very far, receiving the red envelopes from the president is regarded as good luck.
Later, Chen held a lunch banquet with around a thousand of his supporters, where he pledged to carry on with reform plans and improve the economy.
The president thanked the people from his hometown for their support, warmth, encouragement and wisdom.
Chen said he understood that people were suffering as a result of the global economic recession. But he asked the people to have faith in him and in Taiwan because the country's investment environment and stock market were in much better shape than those of many other countries.
As long as the direction is accurate, he said, he was confident the economy would recover and the unemployment rate would fall.
TSU Chairman Huang Chu-wen (
Lee told the TSU officials that the following year would be crucial, as the country prepares for presidential and legislative elections next year.
He said that although the TSU wouldn't nominate its own presidential candidate, he hoped the party would work hard to present policies that would uphold the people's interests.
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