President Chen Shui-bian's (
Six years after Chen came to power, a poll found that 75 percent of respondents were dissatisfied with his performance and only 15 percent were satisfied, the Chinese-language Apple Daily said.
Among those who were dissatisfied, 58 percent questioned the integrity of the first family, 16 percent were unhappy with Taiwan's economy, seven percent with Taiwan's diplomatic isolation and six percent with crime.
Chen was inaugurated for a four-year term on May 20, 2000 and won re-election in 2004. He is due to step down in 2008.
Chen faces the biggest crisis of his presidency, and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) looks set to lose power to the opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in 2008, the paper said.
The telephone poll of 1,066 people found 63 percent believe KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will win the 2008 presidential election, while only 15 percent thought Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) of the DPP would win the election.
The Apple Daily printed a chart to show how Taiwan's economy has worsened since Chen became president in 2000.
Taiwan's economy is currently growing at an annual rate of just 4.25 percent compared to 5.77 percent in 2000 while the unemployment rate has risen from 2.99 percent to 4.13 percent, the paper said.
An exhibition demonstrating the rejuvenation of the indigenous Kuskus Village in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) opened at the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s conservation station in Taipei on Thursday. Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said they have been promoting the use and development of forestry resources to local indigenous residents for eight years to drive regional revitalization. While modern conservation approaches mostly stem from western scientific research, eco-friendly knowledge and skills passed down through generations of indigenous people, who have lived in Taiwan for centuries, could be more suitable for the environment, he said. The agency’s Pingtung branch Director-General Yang Jui-fen (楊瑞芬)
Restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to be included in the Michelin Guide’s review for the first time this year, alongside existing entries from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the France-based culinary publication said yesterday. This year’s edition of the Michelin Guide Taiwan is to be unveiled on Aug. 19 in Taipei. In addition to the coveted star ratings, Michelin Taiwan would announce its “Bib Gourmand” selections — a distinction awarded to establishments offering high-quality food at moderate prices — on Aug. 12. This year’s Bib Gourmand list would also feature restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu
Rallies supporting recall efforts targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers as well as a rally organized by the KMT opposing the recall campaigns are to take place in Taipei today. Traffic controls were in place on Taipei City Hall Road starting from 10pm last night, and would be in place on Jinan Road Sec 1 from 8am today, police said. Recall campaign groups in Taipei and New Taipei City advocating the recall of KMT legislators, along with the “Safeguard Taiwan Anti-Communist Alliance” have announced plans for motorcycle parades and public rallies in both cities today. Permission has been granted for campaigners to hold
M1A2T ABRAMS TANKS: Thirty-eight of the 108 armored vehicles were delivered in December last year, with the rest to be delivered between later this year and next year The military is to live stream a round of live-fire training sessions on Thursday featuring its newly delivered M1A2T Abrams tanks, allowing the public to witness the training results firsthand, the Ministry of National Defense said. Based on the ministry’s plan, the live-fire training session, scheduled to take place at an army tank training ground in the Kengzihkou (坑子口) area of Hsinchu County, is to feature the US-made armored vehicles firing their 120mm smoothbore guns at moving and stationary targets, while stationary or in motion. At least one senior government official is expected to preside over the round of training sessions, per
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