The People First Party (PFP) yesterday reiterated PFP Chairman James Soong’s (宋楚瑜) promise that he would only be a one-term president if he wins Jan. 11’s election and added that he would use the four years to rebuild Taiwan’s civil service system.
Soong made the pledge to be a one-term president at the first platform presentation for presidential candidates on Wednesday.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has let cliques within the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) decide how political resources should be used, he said, adding that this had severely affected the nation’s policy direction.
“I do solemnly swear that I am only going to serve one term, during which I would clean up the mess and rectify the situation,” Soong said. “I would defend the sovereignty of the Republic of China, and am determined to preserve its freedom and democracy.”
“I would seek neither independence from nor unification with China in the next four years,” he said.
PFP spokeswoman Belle Yu (于美人) yesterday denied that Soong had ad libbed the promise in response to Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, who said that he himself is getting old and does not have much time left.
“What Chairman Soong wants is four years with the nation unfettered by political ideologies so the government can focus on domestic policies,” Yu said. “As he would only be in office for four years, he would not carry any baggage, nor would he have to worry about rewarding supporters. He can concentrate on rebuilding the nation’s civil service system, which he is determined to do.”
“Frankly, I think the approach is moving,” she said.
Asked if four years might not be enough to implement the PFP’s policies, Yu said people need to realize that it would be sufficient.
“Incumbents always say that they need eight years to ensure continuity in governance. Then what?” Yu said. “The nation has seen vicious power struggles between the pan-blue and pan-green camps for 20 years.”
Soong is seeking four years to put political strife aside and unite the people to face challenges at home and overseas without any baggage, she said.
Soong was the only one on the stage who actually spoke like a presidential candidate, Yu said.
He did not deviate from his central theme, she said, adding that he has already approved and reviewed things he is to say in the next two platform presentations.
His only shortcoming was that he spoke a bit too rapidly in the ad lib section, she said.
The PFP is content that there is at least one presidential debate set for Dec. 29, Yu said.
The voice of the people should be heard through a real debate over policies, otherwise they will learn nothing from this election, she said.
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