President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday suggested that tomorrow’s local elections should be considered a referendum on her leadership, saying a vote for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidates would be an affirmation of her commitment to “take good care” of Taiwan and ensure peace with China.
The elections for city mayors, county commissioners, local councilors and borough wardens are ostensibly about domestic issues, and those elected do not have a direct say on national policies.
However, Tsai has reframed the campaign to put relations with China front and center.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
Tsai said in a video message that voting for DPP candidates was the same as voting for her.
“If you have not yet decided which city or county commissioner candidate to vote for, then I ask you to please cast this vote for me, for candidates I am recommending,” she said.
“Thank you for choosing Tsai Ing-wen the last time around, and I believe that I can take good care of Taiwan,” she added. “I am also very conscientious and responsible about Taiwan getting a firm footing internationally, and committed to maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
The election is happening a month after the end of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, where Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) secured an unprecedented third term in office — a point Tsai has repeatedly made on the campaign trail.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which crushed the DPP in the 2018 local elections, has said it also is committed to protecting the nation’s democracy and freedom, but it has criticized the DPP for being overly confrontational with China.
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who remains a senior KMT member, wrote on Facebook yesterday that voting for the DPP could bring war, and supporting the KMT would ensure peace.
"Choose peace and reject war!" he wrote.
Tsai has repeatedly offered to talk to Beijing on the basis of equality and respect, but has been rebuffed.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
A 79-year-old woman died today after being struck by a train at a level crossing in Taoyuan, police said. The woman, identified by her surname Wang (王), crossed the tracks even though the barriers were down in Jhongli District’s (中壢) Neili (內壢) area, the Taoyuan Branch of the Railway Police Bureau said. Surveillance footage showed that the railway barriers were lowered when Wang entered the crossing, but why she ventured onto the track remains under investigation, the police said. Police said they received a report of an incident at 6:41am involving local train No. 2133 that was heading from Keelung to Chiayi City. Investigators
RSS