President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday became the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) presidential primary, after she defeated former premier William Lai (賴清德) by 8.2 percentage points in public opinion polls.
Of the respondents in five separate three-way polls, 35.67 percent supported Tsai, while 27.48 percent chose Lai, DPP Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) told a news conference at party headquarters in Taipei.
Tsai garnered higher support when pitted against independent Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who received 22.7 percent, and Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), who received 24.51 percent, the poll showed.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
Lai also came out slightly ahead against Ko and Han, who received 27.38 percent and 23.47 percent respectively, Cho said.
The result came at a crucial time, considering the events of the past few days in Hong Kong, Cho said.
“Maybe this is our historic destiny... Right now we are seeing Hong Kongers exercising their rights with tremendous courage and taking their fate into their own hands,” he said.
“They are fighting for the next generation of Hong Kongers so they will not have to face this trial again,” Cho said. “On the same day, we have gotten this outcome after an 86-day process filled with twists and turns.”
Tsai later in the afternoon told a news conference that she would meet Lai in the coming days to discuss the party’s strategy.
“At this time, the most important thing is party solidarity” to safeguard democracy, protect government reforms and consolidate the nation’s sovereignty, Tsai said.
“By having an open competition, we can have progress. I want to thank Lai for his criticism, so that I can reflect on where my blind spots and problems are,” she added.
Tsai praised Lai’s display of democratic values and said that they had reached some agreements over the telephone.
“We have the common belief that we can only win the election through party unity and that we cannot allow Taiwan to be defeated,” she said. “I still believe in the principle that ‘one plus one will be greater than two.’”
Speaking to reporters at a temple in Tainan, Lai apologized to his supporters for failing in his bid to become the DPP’s nominee and called on all party members to support Tsai.
“History will remember that when Taiwan faced grave challenges and when the DPP faced its most difficult moment, we did not back down and courageously shouldered the burden,” Lai said.
The primary not only represents a new page in Taiwan’s democratic history, but has also boosted the DPP’s morale, he said.
“With public polls, there is a winner and a loser, but through this democratic mechanism, all Taiwanese are the real winners,” Cho said. “We shall cherish this democratic process and shall record it in our history so that we can further refine and advance our democracy.”
“Through this fair and carefully monitored process, we truly believe that we have chosen the strongest presidential candidate, because only if Taiwan becomes stronger can our people have better security and prosperity,” he added.
The DPP would now begin two important missions: forging party unity and launching into election campaign mode, Cho said.
Party solidarity would be a huge task, requiring the effort of all party members and supporters, Cho added.
He urged all DPP members to rally together to win next year’s election, as “only by focusing on this goal can Taiwan become a truly sovereign and independent nation and not follow in Hong Kong’s footsteps.”
BAIL APPEALS: The former vice premier was ordered to be held incommunicado despite twice being granted bail and paying a total of NT$12 million in bond The Taoyuan District Court yesterday ordered the detention of former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who is being investigated for alleged corruption while serving as Taoyuan mayor from December 2014 to December 2022, and that he be held incommunicado. The court made the ruling during a bail hearing after prosecutors appealed its bail ruling twice. Cheng on Saturday was released after posting bail of NT$5 million (US$153,818). However, after prosecutors lodged an appeal, the High Court on Monday revoked the original ruling and ordered the Taoyuan District Court to hold another bail hearing. On Tuesday, the district court granted bail to Cheng a second
The Thai government on Friday announced that Taiwanese would be allowed to stay in the country for up to 60 days per entry, under the Southeast Asian country’s visa-free program starting from today. Taiwan is among 93 countries included in the Thai visa-waiver program, which has been expanded from 57 countries, with the visa-exempt entry extended from 30 to 60 days. After taking office last year, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to grant more visa waivers to foreign travelers as part of efforts to stimulate tourism. The expanded visa-waiver program was on Friday signed by Thai Minister of the Interior Anutin
PEACE AND SECURITY: China’s military ambitions present ‘the greatest strategic challenge to Japan and the world, Japan’s annual defense white paper said yesterday Japan yesterday warned that China risked escalating tensions with Taiwan with an increase in military exercises that appeared aimed in part at readying Beijing’s forces for a possible invasion. Japan’s annual assessment of security threats, including those posed by China, North Korea and Russia, comes as Taiwan closely monitors Chinese People’s Liberation Army air and sea exercises, including one with the Shandong aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. The drills are the latest in a series including maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait last year that a senior US general said would be key to any invasion. “Because of that increase in military activity,
HAN KUANG: The exercises, which are to run from July 22 to 26, will feature unscripted war games and a decentralized command and control structure, military officers said The armed forces would for the first time test new rules of engagement (ROE) at this month’s annual Han Kuang exercises, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday. The exercises, which are to run from July 22 to 26, will feature unscripted war games, and a decentralized command and control structure, military officers told a news conference in Taipei. ROE cards would be issued to select combat troops to test their ability to function without tight control, they said. The most recent edition of the rules was published last year, they said. One of the cards’ two templates identifies enemy targets that soldiers