Former president Lee Teng-hui (
DPP Legislator Lin Chung-mo (林重謨) and DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) visited Lee yesterday morning at his residence in Tahsi, Taoyuan County, to discuss the political situation.
The legislators said Lee was focusing his attention on the creation of of a new constitution and establishing a sovereign Taiwan. They did not, however, discuss December's legislative elections nor competition for the post of legislative speaker.
"Lee said that Taiwan should have a platform for the establishment of its sovereignty, and this platform can be used by the Taiwan Solidarity Union, the DPP and the pro-localization faction of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)," Lin said.
promotion
Lin said that promotion of the platform would require a mass movement, citing the 228 Hand-in-Hand Rally on Feb. 28 this year as an example.
"Lee also said that his vision for the country's political system was built around the notion of two pro-localization parties competing for power, and that those parties which do not support localization would gradually disappear from politics," Lin said.
Meanwhile, Ker said that Lee would meet with veteran politicians and intellectuals, including democracy activist Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) and Huang Kun-huei (黃昆輝) next week to discuss the details of possible versions of a new constitution.
"Lee also said his promotion of a new constitution would not be a burden for President Chen Shui-bian (
arms deal
According to another DPP legislator who wished to remain anonymous, Lee confirmed in the meeting that he met Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
The legislator said Lee had told Lin and Ker that KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) were now powerless and ineffectual and that the DPP should not follow in the KMT's footsteps.
Lee, the legislator continued, had expressed concern about recent remarks by Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and DPP legislator Shen Fu-hsiung (沈富雄) which had angered sections of the public, and said the DPP should unite so it could grow in strength.
TENSIONS: The Chinese aircraft and vessels were headed toward the western Pacific to take part in a joint air and sea military exercise, the Ministry of National Defense said A relatively large number of Chinese military aircraft and vessels were detected in Taiwan’s vicinity yesterday morning, apparently en route to a Chinese military exercise in the western Pacific, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said. In a statement, the ministry said 36 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, including J-16 fighters and nuclear-capable H-6 bombers, crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or an extension of it, and were detected in the southern and southeastern parts of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) from 5:20am to 9:30am yesterday. They were headed toward the western Pacific to take part in a
Honor guards are to stop performing changing of the guard ceremonies around a statue of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) to avoid “worshiping authoritarianism,” the Ministry of Culture said yesterday. The fate of the bronze statue has long been the subject of fierce and polarizing debate in Taiwan, which has transformed from an autocracy under Chiang into one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies. The changing of the guard each hour at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei is a major tourist attraction, but starting from 9am on Monday, the ceremony is to be moved outdoors to Democracy Boulevard, outside the eponymous blue-and-white memorial
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supports peaceful unification with China, and President William Lai (賴清德) is “a bit naive” for being a “practical worker for Taiwanese independence,” former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said in an interview published yesterday. Asked about whether the KMT is on the same page as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on the issue of Taiwanese independence or unification with China, Ma told the Malaysian Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily that they are not. While the KMT supports peaceful unification and is against unification by force, the DPP opposes unification as such and
CASES SLOWING: Although weekly COVID-19 cases are rising, the growth rate has been falling, from 90 percent to 30 percent, 14 percent and 6 percent, the CDC said COVID-19 hospitalizations last week rose 6 percent to 987, while deaths soared 55 percent to 99, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, adding that the recent wave of infections would likely peak this week. People aged 65 or older accounted for 79 percent of the hospitalizations and 90 percent of the deaths, the majority of whom have or had underlying health conditions, CDC data showed. The youngest hospitalized case last week was a six-month-old, who was born preterm and was unvaccinated, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said. The infant had a fever, coughing and a runny nose early this month, but