Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

No normality without left and right

Lee Min-yung 李敏勇

During last Saturday’s presidential and legislative elections, 56 percent of voters, 3.08 million more than those who voted for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate, backed Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to be their new president. Of the 113 legislative seats, the DPP took 68, gaining a legislative majority. Not just the third transfer of political power in the history of Taiwan’s democracy, it was also the first time there has been a full transfer of power — both the presidency and the legislature — to an opposition party. It is a fresh start for Taiwan’s democracy.

‘Caretaker’ not in my dictionary: Ma

Taipei Times

President Ma Ying-jeou yesterday addresses a forum on Asian economic growth in Taipei.
Photo: CNA

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said that the word “caretaker” was not in his dictionary, brushing aside calls to leave important decisions to a new administration, while promising to forge ahead on several regional trade agreements.

Beijing’s backfiring Huang debacle

Taipei Times Editorial

The video of 16-year-old Taiwanese Chou Tzu-yu (周子瑜), of the South Korean pop group TWICE, apologizing for displaying a Republic of China (ROC) flag on a variety show might seem like just another example of a Taiwanese being bullied by China, but few other examples have stirred such a backlash or highlighted Beijing’s hypocrisy and backwardness in such shocking detail.

Synchronized elections fuel gap issue

Taipei Times Editorial

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) called on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to form a Cabinet before president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) takes office on May 20, “lest the government be left idling.”

The call might seem reasonable, but the important question is: What role would the outgoing president play in a new government formed by public opinion?

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