2/29/2012
Department of International Affairs - Democratic Progressive Party
Following Chair Tsai Ing-wen’s footsteps as an acting chair will not be an easy task. I have been an old soldier and one of the DPP’s 18 founding members, and I must say that the road has been full of twists and turns with non-stopping ups and downs. However, even under difficult circumstances, the DPP has been able to thrive and mature, touching the people and gaining their support, but we have also seen their disappointment and frustration. Here today, I would like to give my deepest appreciation to Chair Tsai Ing-wen for her willingness to shoulder the DPP’s good and bad times and for leading the party through unstable times.
I had initially rejected the position of the acting chair due to the challenging tasks of administering Kaohsiung. Especially, after the merging of city and county, Greater Kaohsiung is now even bigger than Tokyo City, and there are many challenging tasks to resolve. However, with the persuasion of many colleagues, I have decided to become the DPP’s acting chair in order to play the role of stabilizing the party, welcoming the next chair and to assist the DPP out of its difficult times. I also hope to lead the party into allowing an opportunity for reflection after Chair Tsai Ing-wen’s responsible resignation so that the DPP, from its frustration, be able to stand up once again.
In these three months as acting chair, I promise to pave the road for the DPP’s non-stopping reform as well as continuing the upgrade and progressive efforts started by Chair Tsai Ing-wen. I believe that the DPP is an open and democratic party that listens to many different voices. These voices represent a form of democratic development, and they should always be heard and respected. I plan to create a party reform committee that will implement improvements in party organization and policy in order for the next chair to employ as reference.
From the DPP perspective, it is important to be in power, but it is even more important to convince the Taiwanese people why it is important to be in office. The DPP must lay out its values and its plans to make a better and fairer Taiwan. I urge all my party colleagues to help me in re-finding the party’s original ideals, which are even more important than technical election strategies. As long as we are able to show our sincerity and care for Taiwan, I definitely believe that we will be able to touch Taiwanese society. We will let everyone feel that the DPP is part of the public and gain their support in order for the DPP to carry on with even greater strength.
Facing the immediate situation and challenges, the DPP must adopt a pragmatic approach to confront these issues. Even though the process might appear slow-moving, it is something that cannot be done at once and it needs gradual steps. We must use our sincerity to form a consensus within the party and persuade our community to join-in on the project. The DPP has a responsibility to Taiwan, and we must not loose our spirit of reform as a result of setbacks. We must continue promoting the DPP’s core values.
The meaning of sustenance for the DPP must not be to win the 2016 elections, bur rather, it must be our promise to make Taiwan better. To gain office represents only a necessary step, but we must not loose our ideals in order to gain power. Perhaps the process will be challenging, but I believe this difficulty will not surpass the hardships faced when the party was founded. I hope that we keep our love and sincerity and I promise a fair and beautiful Taiwan.
In the next elections within the party, I plan to execute party affairs smoothly, and I will ensure that the power transfer process is transparent, open and steady. In order to maintain party unity and harmony, I hope that the Secretary-General, directors and staff remain by my side to continue exerting all their efforts in handling party affairs.
Lastly, I wish to convey to you how the DPP is a democratic and diverse political party. In regards to the outside world denouncing our factional problems, I believe that this is a normal phenomenon, but it is important to understand that there is no single factional interest capable of overriding the interests of the entire party. Watching forty years of ups and downs in Taiwan, I have also along the way watched the DPP stumble. At this moment, I have personally decided to shoulder the responsibility to express my love for the DPP and my passion for Taiwan, and I hope to count on all our party colleagues to believe in the DPP.
