Opposition Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said Monday that as a responsible political party, the KMT was determined to “build peace in the Taiwan Strait, safeguard the Republic of China (ROC) and protect the region.”
Chu was speaking with reporters following the conclusion of a flag-raising ceremony marking the ROC National Day at the party’s headquarters in Taipei.
He said the biggest concern for Taiwan’s people was whether the country had become better and safer after six years with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in power.
Chu went on to urge the DPP to “rebuild an environment for freedom of speech based on transparency and openness.”
The KMT chair said the control of television and internet media by “hidden forces” had “seriously eroded Taiwan’s democratic values.”
In 2020, the National Communications Commission decided not to renew the broadcast license of the KMT-leaning CTi TV News, and there have been allegations that the DPP pressured social media companies to censor comments critical of the government.
Meanwhile, former President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) accused the DPP of seeking to “erase” the ROC, citing President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) use of the term “Taiwan National Day” and her comments last year that there was no affiliation between Taiwan and China.
Ma said Tsai’s words “encroached on both the Additional Articles of the Constitution and the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area,” adding that such an approach would only escalate tensions and irritate China.
Turning to the Nov. 26 local government elections, the former president said a good performance by the KMT would protect cross-strait peace and make Taiwan safer while helping the opposition party regain the presidency in 2024.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel