Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04TAIPEI3984
2004-12-15 07:02:00
UNCLASSIFIED
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Cable title:
MEDIA REACTION: TAIWAN'S LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS TAIPEI 003984
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD -
ROBERT PALLADINO
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: TAIWAN'S LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS
"[Last Saturday's Legislative] Election Is Not the Only
[Thing] President A-Bian Has Failed to Win"
Journalist Chang Hui-ying noted in the centrist, pro-
status quo "China Times" (12/15):
"When it comes to the outcome of [last Saturday's]
legislative elections, what the DPP failed to win was
not votes or seats [in the Legislative Yuan] alone.
Instead, President Chen Shu-bian has in fact lost two
of the most valuable things - namely, the respect and
trust of the people [of Taiwan], and this was a major
factor leading to the DPP's electoral defeat. .
"When [a president] has lost his people's respect for
him, it means he has also lost their trust. Chen has
always made beautiful promises whenever he is defeated.
Now he is vowing to be the president of all the people
of Taiwan. But people can hardly forget the fact that
he has openly used Taipei-Washington ties and cross-
Strait relations as a weapon to attack [candidates of
other political parties], and has put the safety of all
the people of Taiwan at risk. Given the fact that Chen
has more than once used concrete words and actions to
tell the Taiwan people that he looks upon himself and
his position as the first thing that he should protect,
followed by the interests of his party and then the
interests of his country, how many people dared to [use
their votes] to grant him unrestricted power again?
"As a state leader, Chen has not only lost the respect
and trust of his people but has also lost the respect
and trust of Taiwan's most important ally - the United
States. The mutual trust between Taipei and Washington
has been badly damaged, and the United States has been
troubled enough as a result of Chen's political
manipulations. As a result, Washington has decided to
actively interfere with everything concerning Taiwan,
even the change of names of its state-owned
enterprises. But the real reason behind all of this is
because the United States has lost even the slightest
bit of respect for Chen as the president of Taiwan, and
it no longer trusts Chen's policies or pledges.
"Compared to the minor defeat in the legislative
elections, [losing the respect and trust of the United
States] is a major defeat for Chen. The DPP failed in
Saturday's elections, but Chen as the leader of Taiwan
is the one that has suffered a really severe defeat."
KEEGAN
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/RSP/TC, EAP/PA, EAP/PD -
ROBERT PALLADINO
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: TAIWAN'S LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS
"[Last Saturday's Legislative] Election Is Not the Only
[Thing] President A-Bian Has Failed to Win"
Journalist Chang Hui-ying noted in the centrist, pro-
status quo "China Times" (12/15):
"When it comes to the outcome of [last Saturday's]
legislative elections, what the DPP failed to win was
not votes or seats [in the Legislative Yuan] alone.
Instead, President Chen Shu-bian has in fact lost two
of the most valuable things - namely, the respect and
trust of the people [of Taiwan], and this was a major
factor leading to the DPP's electoral defeat. .
"When [a president] has lost his people's respect for
him, it means he has also lost their trust. Chen has
always made beautiful promises whenever he is defeated.
Now he is vowing to be the president of all the people
of Taiwan. But people can hardly forget the fact that
he has openly used Taipei-Washington ties and cross-
Strait relations as a weapon to attack [candidates of
other political parties], and has put the safety of all
the people of Taiwan at risk. Given the fact that Chen
has more than once used concrete words and actions to
tell the Taiwan people that he looks upon himself and
his position as the first thing that he should protect,
followed by the interests of his party and then the
interests of his country, how many people dared to [use
their votes] to grant him unrestricted power again?
"As a state leader, Chen has not only lost the respect
and trust of his people but has also lost the respect
and trust of Taiwan's most important ally - the United
States. The mutual trust between Taipei and Washington
has been badly damaged, and the United States has been
troubled enough as a result of Chen's political
manipulations. As a result, Washington has decided to
actively interfere with everything concerning Taiwan,
even the change of names of its state-owned
enterprises. But the real reason behind all of this is
because the United States has lost even the slightest
bit of respect for Chen as the president of Taiwan, and
it no longer trusts Chen's policies or pledges.
"Compared to the minor defeat in the legislative
elections, [losing the respect and trust of the United
States] is a major defeat for Chen. The DPP failed in
Saturday's elections, but Chen as the leader of Taiwan
is the one that has suffered a really severe defeat."
KEEGAN