Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Former vice president Lu calls on Ma to step down

Taipei Times

Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday issued an online statement urging President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to step down and take responsibility for his poor governance and autocratic actions regarding the revocation of Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng’s (王金平) Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) membership.

She called on members of the public to show their concern about the country’s future by joining a “civic alliance to recall Ma.”

Making China’s judiciary look good

Taipei Times Editorial

President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) removal of Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) was the climax of an obvious political struggle. Ma’s rationale for the surprise attack was that influence peddling has no place in the judicial process, but his all-out assault on Wang will have a worse effect on the development of democracy and a constitutional government than any amount of influence peddling could have.

Tolerance and forgetfulness are not virtues

Huang Kuo-chang 黃國昌

The legislative recall campaign launched by the Constitution 133 Alliance was preceded by waves of popular protest that took place over the summer, including the send-off for army corporal Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘) after he died from heat exhaustion, and a mass demonstration against forced demolitions with the theme: “Demolish the government.”

These protests signify a public awakening. They have been moderate in form, but formidable in substance.

Opening credits of political drama

Taipei Times Editorial

Most Taiwanese, media outlets and economists owe President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) an apology. Ma is neither stupid nor inept: The swiftness, accuracy and ruthlessness with which he acted against Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), a political enemy with almost 15 years experience as speaker, would make even Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) envious, considering his handling of former Chinese Communist Party Chongqing secretary Bo Xilai (薄熙來).

Ma may not be very good at running the country, but he is an expert at political power struggles, leaving his opponent with no immediate room to maneuver.

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