Calling it his duty to accept the role of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman, President Chen Shui-bian (
"I hope everybody will help me carry the load," he said. "It only makes sense to take the job if everybody is willing to work together and help out. I will not abandon this responsibility."
Chen made the remarks at a lunch with members of a group of supporters in Taipei's Zhongshan District, the Friends of A-bian, as well as local DPP representatives and other Taipei supporters.
The DPP's Central Executive Committee formalized the Central Standing Committee's selection of Chen as chairman in the wake of Yu Shyi-kun's sudden resignation on Monday.
Yu said he resigned over the controversy concerning the party's "normal country" resolution, which passed the DPP National Congress on Sept. 30.
Yu was in favor of a version incorporating stronger rhetoric on key issues that some party members, including DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (
Hsieh, who was scheduled to attend a campaign rally after the congress, surprised the party by not showing up and canceling all public activities thereafter.
Hsieh's campaign office says he is ill, in part because he had been working too much, resting too little and from pushing for the best solution possible in the heated debate surrounding the "normal country resolution."
While some media have speculated that Hsieh may not return to the campaign trail until Chen has accepted the party chairmanship, Chen yesterday dismissed that speculation, adding that he was in regular contact with Hsieh, who was doing fine.
Chen called on the public to support the DPP in the upcoming legislative and presidential elections regardless of who becomes party chairman.
"It is our responsibility not to let anyone pull down the flag of Taiwan and replace it with anything else," he said.
"I hope everyone will come out and help. We should all volunteer and work long term for the DPP. Let us carry the burden and carry Taiwan together," Chen.
Chen previously said that no matter who takes over at the party's helm, that person must be prepared to play a three-fold role: be a dedicated, long-term volunteer; work for party unity; help win next year's legislative and presidential elections and work for UN membership.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
SEMICONDUCTORS: TSMC is able to produce 2-nanometer chips and mass production is expected to be launched by next year, the company said In leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing China is behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) by at least 10 years as the Taiwanese chipmaker’s manufacturing process has progressed to 2 nanometers, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) said yesterday. Wu made the remarks during a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Education and Culture Committee when asked by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) about a report published in August by the Chinese version of Nikkei Asia that said Taiwan’s lead over China in chip manufacturing was only three years. She asked Wu Cheng-wen if the report was an accurate
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
There are 77 incidents of Taiwanese travelers going missing in China between January last year and last month, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said. More than 40 remain unreachable, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday. Most of the reachable people in the more than 30 other incidents were allegedly involved in fraud, while some had disappeared for personal reasons, Luo said. One of these people is Kuo Yu-hsuan (郭宇軒), a 22-year-old Taiwanese man from Kaohsiung who went missing while visiting China in August. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said in a news statement that he was under investigation
RSS