The DPP will launch a presidential election publicity drive next month highlighting the opposition's attempts in the legislature to block reforms promised by President Chen Shui-bian (
"We want to clarify to the public who exactly is blocking the reform measures to boost Taiwan's economic development and financial competitiveness," DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (
In a strategy reminiscent of the campaign for the 2001 legislative elections, the party said that next year's vote would be about "reform versus relapse."
Before the last legislative elections, the newly elected DPP government attacked the opposition parties for cutting budgets and rejecting a number of DPP-led social welfare reforms.
The DPP overtook the KMT as the single largest party in the legislature, although if failed to secure a majority.
High-ranking officials in charge of campaign strategy, including legislative caucus chief Ker Chien-ming (
Lee's statements came a day after Premier Yu Shyi-kun voiced his resentment over legislative intransigence in passing reform measures.
He blamed the pan-blue camp for leading a conservative anti-reform drive in the legislature.
"The performance of this legislative session was extremely poor, as it passed only 53 bills, while the average number of bills passed in the previous sessions of the legislature was about 150. It was all because of a legislative impasse directed by the opposition camp's anti-reform force," Lee said.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei also described the recent session of the legislature as disappointing and "unfortunate," since lawmakers failed to pass bills that the organization had considered vital to economic growth, Lee said.
Lee accused KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
"This legislative session was originally scheduled to end in June 15. However, because Lien and Soong wanted to launch the campaign ahead of time, the scheduled ending date was moved forward to June 6 -- which is inconsistent with the legislature's customary practice of ending its first session of the year in mid-June," Lee said.
Travel agencies in Taiwan are working to secure alternative flights for travelers bound for New Zealand for the Lunar New Year holiday, as Air New Zealand workers are set to strike next week. The airline said that it has confirmed that the planned industrial action by its international wide-body cabin crew would go ahead on Thursday and Friday next week. While the Auckland-based carrier pledged to take reasonable measures to mitigate the impact of the workers’ strike, an Air New Zealand flight arriving at Taipei from Auckland on Thursday and another flight departing from Taipei for Auckland on Saturday would have to
The Taipei City Government yesterday confirmed that it has negotiated a royalties of NT$12.2 billion (US$380 million) with artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant Nvidia Corp, with the earliest possible signing date set for Wednesday next week. The city has been preparing for Nvidia to build its Taiwan headquarters in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park since last year, and the project has now entered its final stage before the contract is signed. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city government has completed the royalty price negotiations and would now push through the remaining procedures to sign the contract before
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania was agreed by both sides, after Lithuania’s prime minister described a 2021 decision to let Taiwan set up a de facto embassy in Vilnius as a “mistake.” Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene, who entered office in September last year, told the Baltic News Service on Tuesday that Lithuania had begun taking “small first steps” aimed at restoring ties with Beijing. The ministry in a statement said that Taiwan and Lithuania are important partners that share the values of freedom and democracy. Since the establishment of the
Taipei Zoo welcomes the Lunar New Year this year through its efforts to protect an endangered species of horse native to central Asia that was once fully extinct outside of captivity. The festival ushering in the Year of the Horse would draw attention to the zoo’s four specimens of Przewalski’s horse, named for a Russian geographer who first encountered them in the late 19th century across the steppes of western Mongolia. “Visitors will look at the horses and think that since this is the Year of the Horse: ‘I want to get to know horses,’” said zookeeper Chen Yun-chieh, who has been
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