The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday officially nominated Vice President William Lai (賴清德) as its candidate in next year’s presidential election.
Following the announcement, Lai said: “We will move forward along President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) path of democracy ... and embrace the international community to strengthen Taiwan’s democratic system.”
“Democracy is the consensus among all Taiwanese. Voters in 2024 will choose democracy or authoritarianism,” he said.
Photo: CNA
Lai stated the three major themes of “unity for democracy,” “good governance through democracy” and “peace through democracy” as his goals for Taiwanese.
“We shall strive to make Taiwan the MVP of the world’s democratic countries,” he said.
“Taiwan is a de facto sovereign nation, so there is no need to declare independence,” Lai said.
“Taiwan and China are distinct, separate entities and we are not an inalienable part of China. Our national sovereignty cannot be violated by any other country,” he said.
“Polls show that most people in Taiwan are opposed to unification with China and do not accept Beijing’s ‘one country, two systems’ model,” he added.
Lai said Taiwan has a democratic system and holds regular elections, in which people can choose representatives at all levels of government.
Meanwhile, DPP officials rejected the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) demand that Lai apologize for a spate of shootings in Tainan, as well as alleged misconduct by Tainan City Government officials.
“KMT members are up to their usual trick of using smear tactics and character assassination against their political opponents,” DPP spokesman Chang Chih-hao (張志豪) said.
“They are trying to shift attention away from their own party’s scandals and controversies through personal attacks, and by spreading rumors and false information,” Chang said.
KMT legislators and councilors have alleged that Lai was linked to the shootings that involved gangsters.
“The KMT has turned into a rumor mill, churning out personal attacks against Lai and other DPP members,” Chang said.
“The KMT has always been the party most associated with corruption, gangsters, bribery and other illegal activities,” he said.
Many KMT members have been convicted for corruption and other crimes, and served prison terms, Chang said.
He asked whether KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) concur with such KMT members circulating rumors.
The KMT should put its own house in order first and deal with party members associated with corruption scandals and gangsters, as well as other unlawful activities such as bribery and illegal profiteering, Chang said.
People should continue to cheer for Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷) at the Olympics Games in Paris today, despite British writer J.K. Rowling’s remarks against her, the Sports Administration said in a statement on Wednesday. Rowling recently shared on X a story from the Guardian about Lin and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif being cleared to compete in the Olympic Games in Paris this year despite having failed gender eligibility tests at the International Boxing Association Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi last year. “What will it take to end this insanity? A female boxer left with life-altering injuries? A female boxer
Five countries have in the past few months canceled preferential visa treatment for Taiwan passport holders due to pressure from China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. It was responding to a report by the National Audit Office that the number of countries offering preferential visa treatment to holders of Taiwan passports had dropped from 171 at the end of last year to 166 in April. In its Central Government Budget Audit Report, the National Audit Office also said that the ministry had failed to provide timely updates on the visa changes, which could affect Taiwan passport holders’ overseas travel. In response
More Taiwanese spectators at the Paris Olympics have reported having signs and banners confiscated by security staff or snatched by Chinese fans. Sandy Hsueh (薛雅俶), president of the Taiwanese Association in France, said that three security personnel confiscated a blank piece of cardboard from her at Sunday’s men’s doubles badminton final, in which Taiwan’s Lee Yang (李洋) and Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) defeated China’s Liang Weikeng (梁偉鏗) and Wang Chang (王昶) to win their second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the event. A staff member told her they had “received an instruction from the Olympic Games saying that anything related to Taiwan or
DISCRIMINATORY: Airlines’ uniform requirements contravene the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, a watchdog said Airline companies’ appearance requirements obliging female flight attendants to wear pencil skirts and high heels are discriminatory, and they should be able to have the option to wear pants, the National Human Rights Commission said in a report yesterday. Completing a year-long probe, commission members said the uniform requirements of Taiwan’s air carriers contravened the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). To fight gender-based discrimination, government agencies should issue guidelines and require airlines to make changes so that female flight attendants have the option to wear pants, the report said. The Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union in