"A gymnast is lithe and flexible. The premier, a former gymnast, is ready to do somersaults." So says Cabinet Spokesman Chou Jung-tai (
Hsieh was elected in 1981, along with President Chen Shui-bian (
Like most politicians, Hsieh has had his ups and downs. These have included several difficult losses: the legislative election in 1986; the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) primary in the run-up to the Taipei mayoral election in 1994; and the 1996 poll, when he was running-mate to DPP presidential candidate Peng Ming-min (
"I remember the day when he was lagging behind Chen in the 1994 party primary. After spending the afternoon reflecting on his position, he decided to drop out of the second-round of voting," Chou said. "By the next day, he was trying to convince us to help Chen win the election. He asked us to take off his campaign vests and put on Chen's. It was an emotional moment."
The theory behind Hsieh's decision was simple: if he quit and endorsed a stronger candidate, the odds of seeing a DPP mayor in the capital city of Taipei for the first time would be increased.
Although Hsieh was disappointed after the 1986 legislative election, Chou said that he did not feel defeated because he had garnered an impressive number of ballots in the race. He would return, in other words, to fight again.
Hsieh's decision to move his battlefield to Kaohsiung after losing the presidential race raised political eyebrows and was strongly questioned by friends and foes alike.
Despite such doubts, his decision was firm and well thought out. During the presidential campaign, he had observed that the DPP had a growing support base in southern Taiwan that might serve to increase the party's overall power.
Many were happily surprised when in 1998 Hsieh was elected mayor of Kaohsiung, outshining Chen, who was defeated in his bid for re-election in Taipei.
The "Sung Chi-li (
While Hsieh keeps his religious beliefs to himself, Chou said, his friends and colleagues are well aware of his interest in spiritual study.
"He has never invited us to his religious gatherings or tried to convince us to believe what he believes," Chou said.
The incident continues to haunt Hsieh, but Chou said that he saw the premier adopt a "healthier" approach while dealing with the media's inquiries about his religious beliefs.
"The reason behind his seeking guidance from a religious teacher is his keen interest in phenomena that human wisdom finds it hard to decipher," he said.
Describing Hsieh as a thinker and humanitarian, Chou believes that he is beginning to see a decisive side to Hsieh since he took office of premier about three weeks ago.
For example, Hsieh does not like to spend his time attending tedious and unnecessary meetings, but instead likes to spend time thinking. He also tells his ministers to do the same, giving them considerable liberty to make their own decisions.
If there is anything Hsieh dislikes about himself, Chou said, it might be his aloof character.
"I think it has a lot to do with his legal profession and the political climate during the tangwai era," he said. "However, I notice that he now uses body language more and seems to be more congenial and laid-back than he used to be."
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS