The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) legislator-at-large candidates yesterday registered their candidacy for January’s elections at the Central Election Commission (CEC) in Taipei, saying that they would push for digital reforms that would safeguard Taiwan’s democratic liberties.
The DPP has nominated 16 men and 18 women for legislator-at-large seats, said DPP Secretary-General Hsu Li-ming (許立明), who accompanied the candidates to the commission.
The candidates, who wore matching vests, come from all walks of life and “represent the opinions of all kinds of groups in society,” Hsu said.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The party had asked them to run, as their voices would contribute to efforts to safeguard the next generation, he said.
Jing Chuan Child Safety Foundation chief executive officer Lin Yue-chin (林月琴), one of the candidates, said she has long fought to safeguard the rights of children and adolescents, adding that she would continue to do so in the Legislative Yuan if elected.
Lin pledged to fight for more social welfare funding and listen to the suggestions of civic groups.
Taiwan Parks and Playgrounds for Children by Children president Ariel Chang (張雅琳) said she became a candidate because she hoped the government would begin to consider policies to address the needs of children.
National Taipei University Graduate School of Criminology director Puma Shen (沈伯洋) said that this was the moment for him to “change roles” and “become part of the system,” so he could contribute to efforts that would identify and control false information.
Beijing is trying to influence Taiwanese through cognitive warfare and spread the idea that Taiwan is alone and democracy is useless, Shen said.
“This is what is threatening our democratic freedom,” he said.
Entertainer and TV host Jean Kuo (郭昱晴) said that the stronger Taiwan becomes, the more people are aware of external and internal forces that seek to suppress the nation’s development.
Without the strength to defy such forces, talented Taiwanese performers and creators would be forced to conform to stereotypes, and act out soulless characters and scripts, Kuo said.
At a separate event, reporters asked Hsu about the failed alliance that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) had been working on to combine their presidential candidates into a single ticket.
Most Taiwanese must be worried about whether they could entrust the nation’s future to such parties, Hsu said.
The DPP has solid policy platforms and faith in the democratic system, he said.
People would form their own opinions on whether the vice presidential candidates of the KMT, Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康), and the TPP, Legislator and business executive Cynthia Wu (吳欣盈), were better choices than the DPP’s vice presidential candidate, former representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴).
Additional reporting by CNA
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