The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) must align with citizens in their mass recall movement to safeguard the country, President William Lai (賴清德) said at the party’s national congress yesterday in his capacity as party chairman.
At the party congress, themed “Better democracy, better Taiwan,” Lai said the biggest challenge of domestic politics was in the legislature, as the opposition, which holds a majority, conducted legislative meetings without following procedure, passed bills that contradicted the Constitution, and undermined government operations and national development by slashing the central government’s budgets.
Beijing has been using influence warfare and military intimidation against Taiwan, and regards the annexation of Taiwan as part of its policy to achieve “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” he said.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
It also intends to annex the nation as part of its attempt to expand its hegemony across the western Pacific, with the ultimate goal of reshaping the rules-based international order, Lai said.
That would not change simply because Taiwan changes its governing party or head of state, he added.
The power of civil society is indispensable to building better democratic mechanisms and a better Taiwan, Lai said, adding that the nation’s vibrant democracy would not have existed were it not for strong civic forces.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
For many years, there has been a latent, invaluable strength rooted in Taiwanese society that would be brought out whenever the country is in urgent need, Lai said.
For example, the Wild Lily movement of 1990 called for reform and democratization, and people in the Sunflower movement of 2014 gathered to stop the passage of the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement and prevent Taiwan from steering toward a pro-China course, Lai said.
The DPP stood by the people, the consensus of society, in such civic movements, in a collective effort to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty and democracy, he said.
While many countries have become vigilant of Chinese hegemonic expansion, Taiwan’s opposition parties have blocked national defense budgets and national security bills proposed by the government, Lai said.
In response, Taiwanese, concerned about the nation’s existence, unleashed their civic strength again through the “Bluebird movement” and mass recall movements, so the DPP must stand by the people and safeguard the country, he said.
The “Bluebird movement” refers to the people who protested against opposition lawmakers outside the Legislative Yuan last year.
National self-defense and economic development are key to building a better Taiwan, Lai said.
Given that China would exploit Taiwan’s inclusion of diversity for its “united front” and infiltration tactics, an all-out national defense system must be constructed to counteract its mischief, he said.
National defense capabilities must continue to be enhanced through arms procurement, and private military research and development to bolster national defense autonomy amid increasing Chinese military coercion, he added.
On economic development, the advanced technology and innovation capacity of Taiwan should be leveraged to improve the domestic investment environment and attract more foreign investments, Lai said.
The fruits of economic development should also be shared among all people of Taiwan to fulfill balanced regional developments and intergenerational justice, he added.
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