Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) toured the nation's Hakka region yesterday to campaign for TSU candidates, calling them professional politicians who will cease the war of words and focus on legislating if elected.
Lee dubbed these legislative-hopefuls "the top graduates from the school of Lee Teng-hui." The ex-KMT chairman said that only by sending these graduates to the legislature can his "Taiwan's first" policy be realized and the nation's political chaos ended.
PHOTO: HUNG MIN-LUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Lee received a warm welcome during his six stops in the northwestern part of the country yesterday, with thousands of supporters shouting "President Lee, we love you" wherever he went.
The 78-year-old Lee said his hectic campaign activities have prompted concern about his health, but said "it is Taiwan, not my health, that is of great significance."
"Despite my age, my mind is very clear. I have to stand up to fight for a better future for Taiwan. I cannot sit and wait to see Taiwan engulfed by China," Lee said while attending the opening of Tzeng Ju-mei's (
Unlike previous campaign language used to lambaste rival political groups, Lee's speech yesterday was toned down, focusing more on constructive national policies, especially on how to fix the country's deteriorating economy.
"I am tired of the verbal sparring [from rival parties]; it is meaningless and I will stop making any response. What's more important is how to improve Taiwan," Lee said.
Providing the remedies to cure the nation's economic woes, the first democratically elected president said the most urgent task is to create more job opportunities and create the nation's lowest unemployment rate ever.
For instance, Lee said, the government should open industrial zones for small enterprises for free, lower the business tax and cut the interest rate of bank loans.
"Creating incentives is the only solution for the government to stop the great exodus of capital to China," Lee said.
Feeling anxiety from farmers worried that Taiwan's imminent entry to the WTO would hurt the country's agricultural sector, Lee told supporters at the rally, most of whom make a living from farm products, to put their fears to rest.
He told them that the government is well prepared for the change financially and suggested they adjust their production techniques. "Instead of relying on farming, you should shift the focus to the processing of products."
To boost to the region's stagnant economy, Lee encouraged people to take advantage of the country's geography to develop tourism, such as building up hot-spring resorts.
On the political front, Lee suggested streamlining the legislature. Lee recommended cutting the number of seats, now at 225, in half, which would save NT$25 billion for public construction.
Lee also took the opportunity to condemn a politician from the opposition camp -- Taipei City Councilor Lee Ching-yuan (
"This [form of criticism] is the most evil means of generating publicity in year-end election polls. Smart voters should not cast votes for him," Lee said.
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