Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Time for the elected to earn respect

Taipei Times Editorial

As expected, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) was elected speaker of the Legislative Yuan yesterday, garnering support from all 68 DPP lawmakers, five New Power Party legislators and one independent.

As the first non-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) member to preside over the nation’s lawmaking body, Su no doubt shoulders high expectations from the public, which also looks forward to a new legislature undertaking root-and-branch reforms and bringing about improved legislative quality.

The DPP gives lesson in democracy

Taipei Times Editorial

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus’ decision to resolve the dispute on nominating a candidate for legislative speaker triggered criticism from some, who said that the decision was made in an “opaque” way. However, the decisionmaking process was more like a lesson in democracy than a target for condemnation.

Tsai needs to exploit diplomatic window

Keng Kim-yung 何景榮

President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration has often gone out of its way to suppress the national flag of the Republic of China (ROC) in international forums, and it does not object when retired generals visiting the other side of the Taiwan Strait sing the People’s Republic of China’s national anthem — the March of the Volunteers. Now that Ma’s government is nearing its natural demise, it has suddenly transformed itself into a guardian of the ROC Constitution, mouthing slogans about “respecting the Cabinet system, as embodied in the Constitution” and “allowing the majority party in the legislature to form a Cabinet.”

From ROC ashes, Taiwan can rise

Michael Hsiao 蕭新煌

The results of the presidential and legislative elections on Jan. 16 are extremely significant. They are to have an enormous impact on the future of Taiwan’s political landscape on at least three levels: First, there is the continued rise of a Taiwanese identity; second, a consolidated democracy has emerged; and third, a new citizenry has taken form.

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