President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen made the vow during a campaign rally held in Kaohsiung City last night.
During the rally, Chen once again said that it was imperative that the pan-greens are successful in the legislative elections, adding that the pan-blues have exploited their majority in the legislature while attempting to paralyze the government over the past three years.
Chen said, when he took over the office of Taipei Mayor in 1998, he told Taipei's citizens that he would improve Taipei's notorious traffic situation within two years. After his determined efforts, the traffic situation was improved.
"I believed that if people of Taiwan could give us a chance and support the pan-green camp to win a majority in the legislature -- only give us two years and I promise that I will do a good job as a president and lead the country to become a great, normal and complete country," Chen said. "Otherwise, I am willing to step down as president."
Chen added that Kaohsiung City Government, which is supported by a pan-green controlled City Council, provides an example of a government that can really do something good for citizens.
Chen also promised that if the pan-greens win a majority in the legislature, the government will pass a National Pension Law (
Legislation governing the Resolution Trust Cooperation (
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday held a campaign rally in northern Kaohsiung City to boost its legislative candidates Kuan Pi-ling (
Noticeably, the five candidates did not boast about themselves. Instead, they showered praise on their fellow candidates, showing that the united pan-green campaign strategy and vote allocation plan is working.
Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (
Meanwhile, early in the day before attending the rally in Kaohsiung City, President Chen Shui-bian (
There he called on people of different ethnic groups to get along with each other and stressed that only if Taiwan's people unite can the country face threats from outside.
"It is undeniable that Taiwan has different ethnic groups. But everyone has to know we only have one country," Chen said. "I believe that Taiwan has no ethnic problem, but only a problem of national identification."
In his speech, Chen redefined the "five ethnic groups" proposed by Sun Yat-sen (孫中山), pointing out that the five ethnic groups who reside in Taiwan are Hoklo, Hakka, Aborigine, Mainlanders and foreigners -- including brides from Southeast Asian countries and China.
"It is unnecessary for a small number of ethnic groups to bear historical burdens," Chen said. "Under the principle of the DPP's Resolution on Ethnic Diversity and National Unity, there was no oppressor and victim. Everyone is equal and everyone is the owner of the land."
Chen once again stressed that "Taiwan is the Republic of China, the Republic of China is Taiwan," asking people not to hold on to fantasies about the country's territory and to acknowledge the nation's reality.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS