Lai can benefit the nation
A few days ago, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) sort of announced that he would run for president.
This has brought the already muddled blue and white camps to an even more enigmatic condition.
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) has been hiding as a way of damage control, following a series of controversies such as the July 16 rally, his misogyny, his discrimination against southern Taiwanese, the Taipei Music Center dispute, and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao’s (高虹安) alleged corruption.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), on the other hand, got some benefits after Ko announced that he would not be anyone’s deputy.
At the same time, although the possibility of Gou running as a KMT candidate was eliminated in the KMT presidential primary, some KMT local politicians regarded Gou as their savior.
It looks like Gou, Ko, and Hou would never compromise and all of them want to be the one who leads others. The show would certainly go on.
Both blue and white camps emphasize on the necessity of ruling party alternation, but we should remember that it is not President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) third term. This is Vice President William Lai’s (賴清德) first presidential campaign. In terms of US-Taiwan relations and cross-strait relations, Lai has followed Tsai’s steps and kept everything stable, but in terms of his own new agenda, Lai has demonstrated a style that not only carries on Tsai’s policies but also shows his own way.
Lai is more straightforward and unwavering. His decisive proposal about subsidizing private university fees is an example.
The most updated public opinion polls show that 45 percent of the Taiwanese would want to keep the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as the ruling party. It is believed that Lai’s support rate would go up to 40 percent soon. The ceiling of 35 percent is about to be overcome, and Lai has been well supported by people of all ages.
This is not surprising at all. The Taiwanese have been watching Lai focus on designing and explaining his future policies. His layovers in the US en route to Paraguay also showed that the DPP has been steadily constructing solid diplomatic relationships with “no surprises.”
Moreover, Lai has never spoken ill of other presidential candidates. Right after he returned to Taiwan, he participated in the road safety rally on Sunday last week, along with his competitors. Lai has been listening to what the public wants carefully, and the people know that he is sincere and has a political vision.
Obviously, Ko, Hou and Gou focus on maximizing their own profits, but for Lai, the most important thing is to maximize Taiwan’s benefits. Their visions are far from the same, and the differences are the reason Lai continues to win the trust of Taiwanese.
Wang Tung-pai
Taipei
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