Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday registered her candidacy for the Jan. 14 presidential election, saying her confidence in winning the election has grown because of increased nationwide support.
“I believe we will win and we will win because we have you,” Tsai told thousands of jubilant supporters at her campaign headquarters in Banciao District (板橋), New Taipei City (新北市), yesterday morning before completing the final registration procedure in downtown Taipei.
Tsai showed the registration form to the media in a packed registration room at the Central Election Commission with her running mate, Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), standing beside her as she formally began her quest to become Taiwan’s first female president.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
Several female public servants, who were on duty, took the opportunity to take photographs of Tsai and chanted “Way to go, Chairperson Tsai” as Tsai was leaving the building.
Security for Tsai and Su tightened immediately after their registration, with the National Security Bureau taking over.
Tsai did not make any public comments before or after the registration, but delivered a speech in Banciao.
Tsai, who almost always speaks in a serious and scholarly tone, showed her softer side with three short stories.
She talked about how she held the hand of DPP member Lin Lung-cheng (林龍成) in hospital on Tuesday and told him that the party was determined to win. Lin passed away shortly after.
She talked about how Fang Mei-chin (方美津), former president of the Eastern Taiwan Society, made a fundraising pitch to doctors and nurses for the DPP when she visited the intensive-care unit.
She also talked about how several Aborigines in a remote village in Hualien County reached her campaign headquarters by foot to show their support.
“It is people like these who have made me more determined than ever to win the presidential election, because we, the DPP, shoulder a lot of the expectations of so many Taiwanese,” she said.
Turning to the DPP’s highly publicized “three little pigs” fund-raising campaign, Tsai officially named the three pigs “Sunshine” (陽光), “Warmth” (溫暖) and “Tolerance” (包容).
The red piggy bank was given the name of Sunshine, she said, because the campaign was inspired by three children in Greater Tainan, where there is abundant sunshine.
She named the green piggy bank “Warmth” for the passion and support of her supporters across the nation.
As for the blue piggy bank, “I understand why some of our supporters have a problem with the color [as it reminds people of the pan-blue camp], but that is why I named it ‘Tolerance,’” Tsai said, adding: “We have to work with everyone in this country toward a better future.”
Taiwanese can only deal with the many challenges ahead by promoting social harmony and through consolidation, she said.
“These challenges are a responsibility that we must shoulder for the next generation,” she said.
In response to Tsai’s pledge to run the presidential campaign with warmth and tolerance, KMT spokesperson Lai Su-ju (賴素如) called on Tsai to reflect on the DPP’s “smear campaign” against President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and its accusations that the two had misused public funds for a government-sponsored musical.
Lai said the former head of the Council for Cultural Affairs, Emile Sheng (盛治仁), was in charge of the musical and that plans for the project, including its budget, were already finalized when Sheng presented a report to Ma at a Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Central Standing Committee meeting.
Ma and Wu had no previous knowledge of the budget and did not authorize the project, she said.
In fact, Wu was not even at the committee meeting that day, she said.
“The DPP should not portray Tsai as a refreshing and tolerant candidate on one hand, and use smear tactics against the KMT on the other,” she said.
Lai said the KMT would continue its efforts to run a positive campaign and that it expects the campaign to focus on debates on policies.
Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old