Taiwan's Legislative Yuan voted to replace the name "National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall" in favor of returning to its former name, "Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall" (中正紀念堂). However, the four-character inscription at the entrance alluding to Chiang will remain "Liberty Square." Former President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) caused a political uproar in 2007 when he formally changed the memorial's name and original four-character inscription at the entrance.
The name change is pure Taiwan politics, as members of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) (民主進步黨) view Chiang as a dictator while the current ruling Kuomintang (KMT) (中國國民黨) overlooks Chiang's harsh rule, arguing that he saved the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan from communism.
Hopefully the return of the Chiang monument "honor guards" will draw more tourists back to Taipei attractions and help spur the economy. The story was reported here.
Showing posts with label DPP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DPP. Show all posts
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九)
Congratulations to Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and his running mate Vincent Siew (蕭萬長), Kuomintang (KMT) presidential and vice-presidential candidates, who recently defeated the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), presidential and vice-presidential condenders, respectively. I delve deeper into Taiwanese politics and government in my new travel guide, Taipei In A Day Includes: Taiwan From A To Z, First Edition.
Ma, a former justice minister, Taipei mayor and KMT chairman, ran on a platform of "clean government" and economic change, themes which resonated with voters after the final four years of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) administration were marred by personal scandals involving his family and a lagging economy. Due in large part to economic concerns, the KMT trounced President Chen and his party in recent legislative elections, winning 86 of 113 seats. In the recent presidential election, Ma and his party won by approximately 17% of the vote, giving the "pan blue" camp control of both the executive and legislative branches. While many on Taiwan are elated that the new president will be able to implement his economic initiatives relatively unhindered, some on Taiwan, such as former President Lee, worry about the need for checks and balances in a democracy. Let's hope President Ma and his dedicated team can remain above petty political squabbles and remain focused on turning the economy around.
Born in Hong Kong (he and his family moved to Taiwan when he was one) and educated in law at Taiwan's top-ranking National Taiwan University and in the U.S. at NYU and Harvard, Ma held a high-profile news conference in English with local and international reporters immediately after his victory to answer queries related to his political and economic positions. He gave concrete proposals and demonstrated a pragmatic approach to working with allies as well as a keen understanding of some of the harsh political realities, namely dealing with Mainland China, that he will soon be facing. Ma Ying-jeou and his administration will take office on May 20, 2008.
Ma, a former justice minister, Taipei mayor and KMT chairman, ran on a platform of "clean government" and economic change, themes which resonated with voters after the final four years of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) administration were marred by personal scandals involving his family and a lagging economy. Due in large part to economic concerns, the KMT trounced President Chen and his party in recent legislative elections, winning 86 of 113 seats. In the recent presidential election, Ma and his party won by approximately 17% of the vote, giving the "pan blue" camp control of both the executive and legislative branches. While many on Taiwan are elated that the new president will be able to implement his economic initiatives relatively unhindered, some on Taiwan, such as former President Lee, worry about the need for checks and balances in a democracy. Let's hope President Ma and his dedicated team can remain above petty political squabbles and remain focused on turning the economy around.
Born in Hong Kong (he and his family moved to Taiwan when he was one) and educated in law at Taiwan's top-ranking National Taiwan University and in the U.S. at NYU and Harvard, Ma held a high-profile news conference in English with local and international reporters immediately after his victory to answer queries related to his political and economic positions. He gave concrete proposals and demonstrated a pragmatic approach to working with allies as well as a keen understanding of some of the harsh political realities, namely dealing with Mainland China, that he will soon be facing. Ma Ying-jeou and his administration will take office on May 20, 2008.
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