Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu, chair of the National Day preparatory committee, named security, prosperity and democracy as his three wishes and, going off script, criticized the executive-legislative standoff. The ruling side responded quickly.
According to United Daily News (聯合報) and the Central News Agency on Oct. 10, Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu, who chairs the National Day preparatory committee, spoke in the plaza in front of the Presidential Office and made three wishes: Taiwan's security, prosperity for the people, and 'long live democracy.'
광고 문의 · 300×250On security, he said war 'must absolutely never happen in Taiwan' and listed four goals: defending the Republic of China, protecting democracy and freedom, maintaining US-Taiwan relations and maintaining cross-strait peace. He called ideological division at home the biggest problem and urged party leaders not to inflame tensions. On prosperity, he noted strong first-half exports but warned of a gap in which high-tech industries thrive while traditional ones struggle, and called for balanced growth across manufacturing, tourism, cultural and creative industries, healthcare, and farming and fishing.
On democracy, he said the wall built over generations has developed cracks. United Daily News reported that he referred to last year's mass recall campaign, saying the removal of the main opposition's legislators 'is not democracy' but 'political hunting,' and also raised this year's dispute over the premier declining to countersign laws passed by the legislature.
Han praised President Lai Ching-te's clean record but warned that failing to resolve the standoff with the legislature could make Taiwan look like 'fake democracy, real dictatorship.' He urged Lai and Premier Cho Jung-tai to calm down and compromise, quoting former President Chen Shui-bian's 'conflict, compromise, progress.' FTV News reported that parts of the remarks were off script and that some people in the crowd shouted for him to step down.
Executive Yuan spokesperson Li Hui-chih said both branches are constitutional bodies and constitutional mechanisms should not be stigmatized for political attacks. DPP caucus secretary-general Chuang Jui-hsiung said he backed the three wishes but a national celebration should unite society rather than become a political struggle session, adding that recall is a constitutional right of citizens. He said the caucus is willing to talk and asked Han to act impartially to facilitate dialogue.