Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Tsai faces tough task to achieve true reform

Peng Ming-min 彭明敏

When Westerners see someone taking on a position of responsibility which results in themselves being left to deal with a pile of insoluble problems, they often say: “I do not envy him/her.”

When Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) first contested a presidential election in 2012, a senior economist issued a warning, saying that if Taiwan really wanted reform, it must be prepared to sacrifice itself. Tsai responded by saying that Taiwan’s democracy was mature, and that there was no need to exaggerate. The economist said she was too naive and did not have a sufficient understanding of Chinese. I agree completely.

A historic day for politics in Taiwan

Taipei Times Editorial

Yesterday, voters changed the nation’s future as Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was elected president and her party won a legislative majority. The DPP’s landslide win finally gave the party its long-sought-after total control of the government.

The rules of a peaceful presidential transition

Chen In-chin 陳英鈐

According to Constitutional Interpretation No. 627, it is the right of the president to appoint the premier. After today’s election, the most important issue would be the peaceful transition of presidential powers.

A peaceful transfer involves whether President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration would step down ahead of time and how well the legislature would follow through on its oversight function.

Voters reject KMT fear-mongering

Taipei Times Editorial

There has been no shortage of threats of a turbulent Taiwan Strait in the presidential campaign over the past few months, with several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) heavyweights and Chinese officials resorting to intimidation to try to browbeat Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) into following their rules on cross-strait relations.

On several occasions, KMT presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) has taken issue with Tsai’s policy of maintaining the “status quo,” asking her to give an unequivocal answer as to whether she accepts the so-called “1992 consensus.”

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