Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice presidential candidate Su Tseng-chang (
"It took a long time to build the ship of democracy in Taiwan. We cannot sail it to somebody else's harbor," he said.
Su said it took generations to make direct presidential elections a reality in Taiwan.
Kosovo has about 2 million people who are determined to be their own masters and build a new nation, while Taiwan has 23 million people and has a solid democratic foundation, he said.
Although the DPP suffered heavy losses in the legislative elections on Jan. 12, Su said the presidential election on March 22 would be the last line of defense for Taiwan's sovereignty.
The public must elect a candidate who is capable, loves Taiwan and is determined to protect the country's sovereignty, he said.
"We are calling on voters to help preserve democratic politics and the fundamental value of checks and balances," he said.
Su made the remarks while visiting a temple in Chiayi County yesterday morning.
Kosovo declared independence on Sunday in a historic bid for statehood in defiance of Serbian and Russian opposition.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday also congratulated Kosovo on its independence and said Taiwan looks forward to fostering ties with any country that upholds the universal values of democracy, freedom and peace.
In an official press release, MOFA touted Kosovars and said self-determination was a right recognized by the UN and that the people should be the masters of their nation's fate.
In no way should the independence of one nation be denied by another, it said.
Despite a multitude of barriers, the release said, the people of Kosovo have insisted on an ideal they believe in, which is to peacefully pursue independence without being threatened or scared away.
China reacted angrily on Monday to MOFA's statement, saying Taiwan had no right to offer an opinion on the subject.
"It is known to all that as a part of China, Taiwan has no right or eligibility to give any so-called `recognition' [to Kosovo]," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao (
Additional reporting by AFP
Civil society groups yesterday protested outside the Legislative Yuan, decrying Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) efforts to pass three major bills that they said would seriously harm Taiwan’s democracy, and called to oust KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁). It was the second night of the three-day “Bluebird wintertime action” protests in Taipei, with organizers announcing that 8,000 people attended. Organized by Taiwan Citizen Front, the Economic Democracy Union (EDU) and a coalition of civil groups, about 6,000 people began a demonstration in front of KMT party headquarters in Taipei on Wednesday, organizers said. For the third day, the organizers asked people to assemble
Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
POOR IMPLEMENTATION: Teachers welcomed the suspension, saying that the scheme disrupted school schedules, quality of learning and the milk market A policy to offer free milk to all school-age children nationwide is to be suspended next year due to multiple problems arising from implementation of the policy, the Executive Yuan announced yesterday. The policy was designed to increase the calcium intake of school-age children in Taiwan by drinking milk, as more than 80 percent drink less than 240ml per day. The recommended amount is 480ml. It was also implemented to help Taiwanese dairy farmers counter competition from fresh milk produced in New Zealand, which is to be imported to Taiwan tariff-free next year when the Agreement Between New Zealand and
IDENTITY SHIFT: Asked to choose to identify as either Taiwanese or Chinese, 83.3 percent of respondents chose Taiwanese, while 8.4 percent chose Chinese An overwhelming majority of Taiwanese, 71.5 percent, think that Taiwan should compete in international competitions under the name “Taiwan,” a Taiwan Brain Trust survey published yesterday showed. Referring to Taiwan’s victory last month at the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s Premier12, the survey results showed that 89.1 percent of respondents said that Taiwan’s exceptional performance in sporting competitions furthers national unity. Only 18.8 percent of respondents supported Taiwanese teams’ continued use of the name “Chinese Taipei” in international sporting competitions, the survey showed. Among Taiwan’s leading political parties, the name “Team Taiwan” was supported by 91.1 percent of self-identified Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters,
RSS