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President Lai's national day speech
President Lai Ching-te is promising to resist attempts to annex or encroach upon Taiwan's sovereignty and to safeguard Taiwan's 23 million people.
In his first National Day address Lai said his administration is committed to peace and stability in Taiwan Strait, even as he pledged to cooperate with Beijing on some issues. Lai went on to say he believes the people of Taiwan will become more united, making the island more stable in the process.
Meanwhile, Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu is emphasising the need for people to know about the existence of the Republic of China. Han said the ROC's existence has never been easy, but it's imperative the younger generation recognizes that it is the ROC that built stability and prosperity in Taiwan. Han also called for more transparency in government - with officials being held accountable for their actions and words.
The KMT has not responded directly to Lai's address, but party Chairman Eric Chu told reporters at its National Day flag-raising ceremony that it was time for the DPP to abandon its "narrow-minded ideological frameworks."
Chu said those frameworks included the concept of Taiwan independence, its anti-nuclear policy, and its support for abolition of the death penalty. Chu said the KMT would support all bills and budget plans that benefit the country and the people - at the same time, the party called on the cabinet to respond positively to laws passed by the Legislative Yuan and resolutions agreed to by all parties. The KMT said President Lai Ching-te should view such matters from the perspective of the country's president, rather than as a party leader. He also said "Taiwanese independence is a dead end."
Chu's comments came as former President Ma Ying-jeou boycotted yesterday's National Day ceremony in protest of Lai's stance on the island's sovereignty. In Ma's view, there are no two nations across the Taiwan Strait, but there are two areas that can coexist in peace. He also claimed Lai's new "two states theory" has branded him a "troublemaker" in international eyes.
The Taiwan People's Party has panned President Lai Ching-te's National Day address, saying it was inconsistent with the approach he has taken since becoming president in May.
The TPP said it took five months for Lai to realize that "national interests come before the interests of parties, and the interests of parties can never take precedence over the interests of the people." The TPP said Lai has been inconsistent and it accused him of inciting populism, opposing reforms, using public instruments and resources to attack opposition parties, while at the sametime covering up the failings of his ruling party. The TPP also says in the eyes of the people, Lai's DPP is the one that refuses to engage in dialogue and is gradually moving towards a dictatorship.
