President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) apologized twice yesterday for failing to explain his “6-3-3” economic policy clearly, but argued that he had not broken his campaign promise as his goal of an annual per capita income of US$30,000 had always been targeted for 2016.
Ma promised to achieve the other two goals — annual GDP growth of 6 percent and an unemployment rate of less than 3 percent — by the end of his term in 2012.
“I may not have explained [the ‘6-3-3’ policy] clearly or thoroughly enough and therefore caused some misunderstanding. I want to apologize for that,” Ma said on a visit to Taipei Agriculture Products Marketing Co. “The goal of reaching annual earnings of US$30,000 was set for 2016 ... Although the economic situation is not good, we will spare no effort to achieve the other two goals during my first term.”
During an interview with Mexican daily Sol de Mexico on Aug. 26 — the Chinese transcript of which was released by the Presidential Office on Wednesday — Ma said it would be difficult to reach the goal of 6 percent GDP growth now or within the next year because of the state of the global economy.
Ma offered his second apology later in the day during a visit to Wulai Elementary School, Taipei County, and reiterated the government’s determination to improve the economy.
“The people’s pain is my pain. I feel that pain and would not want to add fuel to the fire at such a time,” he said.
The president said the plan was that annual per capita income would be raised to US$20,000 by 2011 and US$30,000 by 2016.
He said the “6-3-3” economic policy remains the same and that he would try his best to fulfill it. In response to the growing frustration with the government for failing to fulfill his campaign promise, Ma said that his administration had confidence it could revive the economy.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers were divided in their reactions to Ma’s apology.
KMT Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) said that Ma was right to apologize for the “6-3-3” pledge made during his campaign.
“Ma should apologize for making a promise he can only keep in eight years time. A responsible president should realize campaign pledges within a four-year time frame, in accordance with the term of office,” Chiu said.
KMT Legislator Chang Sho-wen (張碩文), on the other hand, praised Ma for apologizing.
“Ma spoke hastily when he said it would take him eight years to honor the ‘6-3-3’ pledge. Giving a specific time frame would only make people misunderstand him. It was, however, a good thing that he offered an apology,” Chang said.
KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) said the apology showed that Ma was sincere and that he recognized that he had made a mistake.
Ma’s presidential election rival, former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), was less forgiving.
“Ma is making honesty a joke,” he said. “When I was premier, I could hardly sleep, let alone laugh and joke as if nothing was going on. If a person has no sense of responsibility, contriteness or empathy, he should not be in that position,” Hsieh said.
“Ma is even less popular than Yasuo Fukuda [outgoing Japanese prime minister who announced his intention to step down on Monday because of his unpopularity] and [South Korean President] Lee Myung-bak. The public are suffering, investors are howling, yet Ma is completely indifferent, and his government is senseless and merciless,” DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said.
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