Tue, May 21, 2024 page3

• Lai missed ‘historic moment’: KMT

  CONTESTATION President William Lai’s inauguration speech yesterday drew criticism from a number of KMT legislators over his ability to deliver on his promises

  • By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter
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  President William Lai (賴清德) missed his “historic moment” by not showing his vision for governance for the next four years in his inaugural speech, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said yesterday, adding that he would not have a long honeymoon after taking office as the country faces several challenges.

  “The inaugural speech is an important political ritual that presidents deliver during their term to show the people and the world what direction they are leading the country in. It is also the best opportunity to show they are looking at the bigger picture and approaching issues from a higher standpoint,” KMT Culture and Communications head Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) wrote on Facebook.

  “President Lai missed his ‘historic moment’ to do so,” she said.

  

  From left, front row, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, Taoyuan Mayor Simon Chang and Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) are pictured along with Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che, front row, second right, and Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai, front row, right, of the Democratic Progressive Party, during President William Lai’s inauguration ceremony in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times

  One cannot see in the inaugural speech how Lai plans to lead the country and the innovative solutions he would deliver, Lee said.

  Instead, Lai made vapid statements, reiterating that he would build on existing foundations, she said, adding that he also failed to use the speech to show confidence and unite the nation, she said.

  The nation’s largest opposition party also compared Lai’s inaugural speech with that made by former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in 2016.

  

  New Power Party Chairwoman Claire Wang, right, takes a photograph for Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je, front row, second left, Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao of the TPP, front row, third left, and TPP Legislator Wu Chun-cheng, left, during President William Lai’s inauguration ceremony in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times

  While Tsai said she recognized the historical fact of the cross-strait meeting in 1992 and spoke about being an active communicator for peace, Lai simply spoke about maintaining peace and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait without highlighting the importance of having cross-strait dialogue and exchange, Lee said.

  Tsai in her inaugural speech vowed to build a closely-knit economic community with other regional members and spent a larger part of her speech identifying the challenges facing Taiwan, from economic development to generational justice, she said.

  By contrast, Lai appeared to speak with only domestic audiences in mind, declaring slogans such as “protecting democracy against autocratic regimes” or “making Taiwan a most valuable player within democratic countries,” she said.

  The government’s shortcomings in the past eight years were only mentioned in passing in Lai’s speech, and his repeated emphasis on the importance of semiconductors also showed his complete unawareness of Taiwan’s shrinking competitive edge with other countries and society’s economic inequality, Lee said.

  “Lai reiterated the keynote of ‘two nations’ in his speech, showing his belief in Taiwanese independence and obliterating any ambiguity in cross-strait relations,” she said, adding that cross-strait relations would become more precarious in the next four years without dialogue or mutual trust.

  While Lai called for a rational discussion of politics in the legislature and the minority respecting the majority, he allowed lawmakers from his own side to speak and act violently in the Legislative Yuan and boycott legislative reform bills, she said.

  KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), who did not attend the inauguration, said that people want cross-strait peace and exchanges, and the Lai administration must deliver solutions.

  “Lai in his speech seemed to only stress that the majority needs to respect the minority. He forgot that only about 40 percent of the country voted for him and that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is now the minority in the legislature,” Chu said. “The minority demanded respect from the majority, but it forgot that it needed to submit to the majority.”

  “I hope that the DPP lawmakers will obey the majority in the legislature and allow major bills to pass,” Chu said.

  The KMT holds 52 seats in the 113-seat legislature, while the Taiwan’s People Party (TPP) has eight and the DPP has 51. There are also two independent lawmakers who are ideologically aligned with the KMT.

  Fu Kun-chi

  On the legislative reform bills that the KMT proposed being put to a vote in a plenary session today, KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi said: “We will see in what ways the DPP respond to the speech made by President Lai.”

  Ko Wen-je

  TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who attended the inauguration, said that the most important thing is what Lai does do in the first three months.

  “Lai said that there should be more exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, which could increase mutual goodwill and avoid misunderstandings and unintended conflicts,” Ko said. “We do not want the world to think of Taiwan as a war zone either.”
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