President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday honored the 30th anniversary of the first direct presidential election in Taiwan, calling on the legislature to pass a special defense budget to “safeguard” the country’s democracy and freedom.
In a social media post, Lai said that March 23, 1996, was the day the people of Taiwan “bravely went to the polls and cast their historic votes,” electing their own president and becoming “the true masters of our country.”
In the run-up to the election, Lai recalled, China launched missiles into the Taiwan Strait and held military exercises, attempting to intimidate Taiwanese and prevent them from going to the polls.
Photo: Screen grab from President William Lai’s Facebook page
Although some people at the time warned that direct presidential elections were a “provocation” against China and could trigger a war, Taiwanese nevertheless cast their votes, “opening the door to freedom and democracy for the next generation,” he said.
Lai said that if the people had given up 30 years ago, “viewing their right to freedom as a provocation against authoritarianism,” there would be no democratic and prosperous Taiwan today.
“It was their courage and perseverance 30 years ago” that has allowed Taiwan’s vibrant,
Photo: Screen grab from the party’s Facebook page
democratic growth, he said.
Today, “everyone must have the same courage to continue to walk confidently and firmly on the path of democracy,” he said.
In closing his message, Lai said yesterday the Legislative Yuan began reviewing the government’s proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$38.95 billion) special defense budget.
Just as some used to say direct presidential elections were a provocation against China, some say now that “as long as there are compromises with authoritarianism, there is no need to strengthen national defense,” Lai said.
“However, the answer to this was already given to us by the people of Taiwan 30 years ago,” he said. “Democracy is never a provocation; only determination, perseverance and strength can safeguard” democracy and freedom.
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