Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Chairman Shu Chin-chiang (蘇進強) yesterday announced that his party will quit its partnership with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) if President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) intends to violate former president Lee Teng-hui's (李登輝) political ideals.
"Former president Lee's political line is the Taiwanese people's line, which has been focusing on giving priority to Taiwan's interests and Taiwan's sovereignty," Shu said. "If Chen plans to deviate from this line, I would say there's no more pan-green camp."
Shu made the remarks in a press conference yesterday afternoon where the TSU formally declared its opposition to the 10-point consensus reached on Thursday between Chen and People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜). High-ranking TSU officials, including Shu and TSU Secretary-General Chen Chien-ming (陳建銘) and other party legislators attended the news conference and voiced their disapproval of Chen.
Shu acknowledged that it was true that former president Lee recommended Chen meet for talks with opposition leaders in the hope of building political stability and cooperation after the legislative elections, but the premise of cross-party negotiations is supposed to be based on Taiwanese identification as a on the common dominator, not based on the interests of certain individuals, Shu said.
"Lee advised Chen to drink water to quench his thirst, but he didn't suggest he drink poison," Shu said.
Shu also said that the TSU was not informed by the Presidential Office about the outcome of Chen-Soong meeting before it was announced, adding that Chen "tore down the bridge after crossing the river." The reference suggested Chen has forgotten about the pan-green partnership and the cross-party cooperation that helped last year's 228 Hand-in-Hand rally and Chen's re-election bid become a reality.
"It was so unexpected that Chen would cater to Soong's requests and concede so much of his ideals about Taiwan's sovereignty during his meeting with Soong," Shu said.
"It is said that the result of the Chen-Soong meeting met the expectations of Soong, China and the US. But ironically, it fell short of the Taiwanese people's expectations," he added.
Shu also said that Soong's insistence that maintaining the status-quo and identifying the Republic of China is "a common denominator" was incorrect.
"The TSU has to clearly state that the status-quo of the Taiwan Straits is `one country on either side' of the Taiwan Strait," Shu said.
He also said that Chen -- citing his defense of the 10-point consensus -- said Lee's appointment of ex-defense minister Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村) to the position of premier was a "far-fetched analogy." Shu added that the events were different and could not be compared.
George Liu (劉寬平), a TSU legislator and member of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) said yesterday at the press conference that the Chen-Soong meeting has made a mockery of Taiwan's democratic achievements. He went on to criticize the consensus, saying that Chen broke his presidential campaign promises.
"Chen lost his integrity and dignity at that meeting," Liu said.
Meanwhile, Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday evening announced that they will participate in the 228 memorial activities held by the TSU and pro-independence groups at the 228 Peace Park today. Lu and Hsieh originally said they would be absent, while the president said he will not join the memorial activities.
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS