Fresh from his presidential election defeat at the hands of Chen Shui-bian (
"Everyone is so enthusiastic. Other candidates didn't have a chance," said Soong's former presidential campaign manager, Liu Sung-pan (
Liu himself nominated Soong, once a powerful figure in the KMT, for the chairmanship.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
"During the campaign, we all felt the strong power from the people who yearn for positive change in the government," Soong said at the PFP inauguration.
"We are going to consolidate that strength and strive for a better future for all," he said.
Soong, whose term as chairman will last for two years, immediately nominated his presidential running mate, Chang Chao-hsiung (
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
The secretary-general of the party is likely to be former minister without portfolio David Chung (
Chung quit both the KMT and the Cabinet in January, later joining Soong's failed presidential campaign.
Later yesterday afternoon, the party officially registered at the Ministry of the Interior.
Party members packed the ballroom at the Grand Hotel yesterday for the chairman's election, as well as an open discussion of the party's charter.
The charter, drafted by Liu during the past three weeks, sets the minimum age for membership at 16 years old, and allows direct elections for chairman by all party members.
The party hopes to encourage young people to participate in politics by lowering membership age, Soong said.
The voting age in Taiwan is 20.
The DPP, which beat out Soong for the presidency by a margin of nearly 3 percent, sent two representatives to yesterday's meeting, while DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (
Soong, however, was less charitable to the DPP in return.
During a speech at the beginning of the meeting, Soong quoted former DPP spokesperson Sisy Chen's (
"The most important thing in this election has been the `James Soong phenomenon.' His participation in the race has changed the face of Taiwanese electoral politics," Soong quoted Chen as saying.
Sisy Chen quit the DPP in 1998 to become an independent political analyst, citing disillusionment with what she said was the DPP's failure to transform from an opposition to a potential ruling party.
Soong also took credit for DPP President-elect Chen Shui-bian's (
"I talked about opening the three links a year ago ... and our team is serious about advocating cross-party alliances," Soong said.
If it hadn't been for him, the KMT would never have reformed and Chen Shui-bian would never have offered to negotiate with China, he said.
Soong has said his party will ensure that the new government does not attempt to push for independence.
But even in the arcane language of cross-strait relations, Soong remains particularly vague about how he envisions Taiwan's future.
"This isn't about reunification or independence. It's about uniting the power of the Chinese people for everyone's benefit," Soong said.
The KMT, which expelled Soong for launching his independent presidential bid, sent neither flowers nor representatives to yesterday's opening.
Analysts, meanwhile, said the PFP could take a large chunk of support from the KMT, which lost power to the DPP in the March 18 election.
Soong had originally declined to form a new party, despite demands from his supporters that he continue to lead the 4.6 million people who voted for him.
The PFP has seen the possible upcoming elections for the National Assembly as the first chance to get its foot in the door to official power.
With fresh elections in the works for May 6, the DPP and KMT have agreed instead to marginalize the 334-seat Assembly, and to transfer most of its rights to the legislature.
Some analysts say the move, while improving and streamlining Taiwan's legislative system, was also designed to bar the PFP from becoming a major third power in a strong Assembly.
PROVOCATIVE: Chinese Deputy Ambassador to the UN Sun Lei accused Japan of sending military vessels to deliberately provoke tensions in the Taiwan Strait China denounced remarks by Japan and the EU about the South China Sea at a UN Security Council meeting on Monday, and accused Tokyo of provocative behavior in the Taiwan Strait and planning military expansion. Ayano Kunimitsu, a Japanese vice foreign minister, told the Council meeting on maritime security that Tokyo was seriously concerned about the situation in the East China and South China seas, and reiterated Japan’s opposition to any attempt to change the “status quo” by force, and obstruction of freedom of navigation and overflight. Stavros Lambrinidis, head of the EU delegation to the UN, also highlighted South China Sea
The final batch of 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks purchased from the US arrived at Taipei Port last night and were transported to the Armor Training Command in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口), completing the military’s multi-year procurement of 108 of the tanks. Starting at 12:10am today, reporters observed more than a dozen civilian flatbed trailers departing from Taipei Port, each carrying an M1A2T tank covered with black waterproof tarps. Escorted by military vehicles, the convoy traveled via the West Coast Expressway to the Armor Training Command, with police implementing traffic control. The army operates about 1,000 tanks, including CM-11 Brave Tiger
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said it expects its 2-nanometer (2nm) chip capacity to grow at a compound annual rate of 70 percent from this year to 2028. The projection comes as five fabs begin volume production of 2-nanometer chips this year — two in Hsinchu and three in Kaohsiung — TSMC senior vice president and deputy cochief operating officer Cliff Hou (侯永清) said at the company’s annual technology symposium in Silicon Valley, California, last week. Output in the first year of 2-nanometer production, which began in the fourth quarter of last year, is expected to
Taiwan’s drone exports surged past US$100 million in the first quarter, exceeding last year’s full-year total, with the Czech Republic emerging as the largest buyer, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said. Exports of complete drones reached US$115.85 million in the period, about 1.2 times the total recorded for all of last year, the ministry said in a report. Exports to the Czech Republic accounted for about US$100 million, far outpacing other markets. Poland, last year’s top destination, recorded about US$11.75 million in the first quarter. Taiwan’s drone exports have expanded rapidly in the past few years, with last year’s total
RSS