Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday played down some Father's Day remarks by his father, who said that he hoped his son would run for president.
Ma Ho-ling (
"Since the day Ying-jeou was born, I made a lot of effort to instill a sense of duty in him regarding this nation's well-being. Running for the presidency is his ultimate goal," the 84-year-old senior Ma was quoted as saying.
Although the general perception is that the mayor is aiming for the 2008 presidential election -- given his popularity within the KMT -- Ma Ying-jeou yesterday tried to allay any sensitivities caused by his father's remarks.
He said that it was only natural for an elderly parent to ask for a bright future from his children.
Ma Ying-jeou said he was not aware of the details of his father's interview, but even if the remarks were accurate, people should not attach excessive political connotations to them.
"Please understand my feelings as the son of an 84-year-old father who spoke of his Father's Day wish for a bright future for his son," the mayor said yesterday in a written announcement.
"Since I entered politics, I have never had excessive ambition for something out of reach, nor been keen on chasing power ? the most important task for me at the moment is to focus on the city administration; otherwise all this was nothing but empty words," he said.
Ma Ho-ling's comments lead to renewed speculation about whether or not Lien and Soong would step down.
But in a rare move, Premier Yu Shyi-kun defended Ma Ying-jeou yesterday, saying "Lien and Soong should step down as early as possible so they can leave behind a good reputation."
In a radio interview, Yu said Ma Ho-ling's remarks reflected not only the anxiety of an elderly father, but that of other people around the mayor and Ma Ying-jeou himself.
"Lien and Soong should retire as soon as possible for the sake of both the development of their parties and the power transfer of the generations. If they could retire early, they might leave themselves a good reputation," Yu said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) was a bit more sarcastic, saying "there have been quite a lot of failures for those who have made up their minds to be president."
When reporters asked Lien about the idea of Ma running for president, the KMT boss declined to comment, saying only "you have to ask Ma Ho-ling."
KMT Policy Committee Convener Tseng Yung-chuan (
DEATH THREAT: A MAC official said that it has urged Beijing to avoid creating barriers that would impede exchanges across the Strait, but it continues to do so People should avoid unnecessary travel to China after Beijing issued 22 guidelines allowing its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death “Taiwan independence separatists,” the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday as it raised its travel alert for China, including Hong Kong and Macau, to “orange.” The guidelines published last week “severely threaten the personal safety of Taiwanese traveling to China, Hong Kong and Macau,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) told a news conference in Taipei. “Following a comprehensive assessment, the government considers it necessary to elevate the travel alert to orange from yellow,” Liang said. Beijing has
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday said that the Chinese Communist Party was planning and implementing “major” reforms, ahead of a political conclave that is expected to put economic recovery high on the agenda. Chinese policymakers have struggled to reignite growth since late 2022, when restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic were lifted. The world’s second-largest economy is beset by a debt crisis in the property sector, persistently low consumption and high unemployment among young people. Policymakers “are planning and implementing major measures to further deepen reform in a comprehensive manner,” Xi said in a speech at the Great Hall
CIVIL DEFENSE: More reservists in alternative service would help establish a sound civil defense system for use in wartime and during natural disasters, Kuma Academy’s CEO said While a total of 120,000 reservists are expected to be called up for alternative reserve drills this year, compared with the 6,505 drilled last year, the number has been revised to 58,000 due to a postponed training date, Deputy Minster of the Interior Ma Shih-yuan (馬士元) said. In principle, the ministry still aims to call up 120,000 reservists for alternative reserve drills next year, he said, but the actual number would not be decided later until after this year’s evaluation. The increase follows a Legislative Yuan request that the Ministry of the Interior address low recruitment rates, which it made while reviewing
DETERRENCE: Along with US$500 million in military aid and up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees, the bill would allocate US$400 million to countering PRC influence The US House of Representatives on Friday approved an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025 that includes US$500 million in military aid for Taiwan. The legislation, which authorizes funding for the US Department of State, US foreign operations and related programs for next year, passed 212-200 in the Republican-led House. The bill stipulates that the US would provide no less than US$500 million in foreign military financing for Taiwan to enhance deterrence across the Taiwan Strait, and offer Taipei up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees for the same purpose. The funding would be made available under the US’ Foreign Military