Taiwan Church News 3279 Edition December 29, 2014 - January 4, 2015 Headline News Vote Buying Has To Be Eradicated First On The Way To Taiwan Democracy, Says Tsai Ing-wen Reported By Umav In order to let Taiwan society to learn more about the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan(PCT) and her missionary history in the past 150 years, the General Assembly(G.A.) of PCT holds a missionary seminar entitled "Care For Taiwan" from December 29 to 31, 2014 in the Training Center of Chunghwa Telecom at Kaohsiung City. In the evening of December 29, Chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party(DPP), Ms Tsai Ing-wen, is specially invited to deliver a thematic speech entitled "Taiwan, Next Stop" spelling out the most urgent agenda in Taiwan's impending future. In her speech, Tsai does not shy away from admitting DPP has won a splendid victory on the so-called nine-in-one election on November 29, as not only 13 magistrates are elected from the national 22 administration districts but also expands DPP's territory northward across central Zhoushui River. Yet, she says humbly that this victory is also the biggest challenge ever for DPP. In the meantime, she pays her special tribute and appreciation toward Rev. William Lo and Rev. Kao Chun-ming, who always came to pray with her holding her hands in earnest, when she was just elected DPP Chairperson in 2008. Though DPP has fought a good fight in magistrate election, the vote buying phenomenon is still very prevalent at the level of local city councilors or representatives. Especially, the vote buying scandal, in the election process of the Speaker at Tainan City Council, stuns the whole island and makes DPP quite humiliated and embarrassed. "I feels very sorry about the event [the election of the Speaker] at Tainan", says Tsai. She therefore remarks that the next stop of Taiwan has to eradicate one-by-one such cancer-like banal behaviors hiding within Taiwan democracy practice. To restore local governance and win back Taiwan, the threat from the mafia gangs and the improper exchange between power and money have to be cleared and cut-off as the first priority! The second agenda of Tsai's schedule is to create job and employment, especially for the youth to realize their dreams and ideals. Third, Tsai hopes a national affairs meeting could be held within the first half of 2015 to amend the constitution. "Time is up to amend the constitution!", says Tsai, the political parties has to cooperate with "the people from the heaven", referring to the folks on the web, to change Taiwan! Translated by Peter Wolfe |