XDPP PREPARES FOR
 CHAIRMAN Jan 2006
ELECTION...…….….….1

XDPP FULLY SUPPORTS

PRESIDENT CHEN’S NEW
YEAR

MESSAGE....………….2

XDPP LAUNCHES NEW

BLOG..........................2

democracy
 XVICE PRESIDENT

&
 ANNETTE LU AS DPP
ACTING
CHAIRPERSON.............3

A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE

INTERNATIONAL DEPT. OF THE DPP TAIWAN
progress

DPP prepares for chairman election

Candidates Profiles
Schedule of Events:
Mr. Trong Chai (2): 70 years old, current DPP legislator,
previously board chairman of Formosa Television, — Debate I - Taipei
founding chairman of Formosan Association for Public January 7, 2006
Affairs, founding chairman of United Formosans for 2:00 p.m.
Independence, president of Referendum Promotion Aired on ETTV
Association, professor of Political Science at New York
— Debate II - Kaohsiung
Ms. Wong Chin-chu (3): 59 years old, former Changhua January 11, 2006
County Magistrate, former DPP legislator for three terms, 8: 00 p.m.
National Assemblywoman, former member of DPP's New Aired on SETN
Tide faction
— Voting Day throughout DPP
Mr. Yu Shyi-kun (1): 57 years old, former presidential
secretary-general, previously served as premier, vice nationwide branches
premier,Yilan County magistrate, chairman of Taipei Mass January 15, 2006
Transit Corporation, DPP secretary-general, Taiwan 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
provincial assemblyman
2 DEMOCRACY & PROGRESS

DPP FULLY SUPPORTS PRESIDENT CHEN’S

NEW YEAR MESSAGE
DEMOCRACY &
PROGRESS The DPP makes the following declaration after President Chen’s New Year
International Department Message on January 1, 2006:
Democratic Progressive Party
8F, No. 30, Pei-Ping East Rd.
Taipei, Taiwan 1. President Chen said that Taiwan’s sovereignty is vested in its 23 million
t. 886-2-23929989 ext. 305 people, and a democratic Taiwan should not foreshadow a premise of
f. 886-2-23214527 unification. Even more, it should not occur under non-peaceful methods that
e-mail: foreign@dpp.org.tw force Taiwanese people to accept. The DPP believes, China instituted the so-
web: http://www.dpp.org.tw called Anti-Secession Law during March of last year, after which one million
people came out to the streets to protest against it, which signifies that 90% of
Director, International
the people in Taiwan are opposed to the law. We are absolutely confirmed that
Department: Bi-khim Hsiao
the people of Taiwan have the right to determine their own future, and this is
Deputy Director: the core value for a democratic Taiwan. When Ma Ying-jeou establishes
Huai-hui Hsieh unification as Taiwan’s ultimate goal, he is denying Taiwan’s sovereignty and
negating the right of the people to make their own decisions. The DPP can
Editor-in-Chief: only regret Ma Ying-jeou’s standpoint.
Michael Fonte
2. The president, as chief defender of national security, takes a long-range view
Editor:
Ping-Ya Hsu
in cross strait, economic and trade affairs. The DPP believes that under
circumstances that Taiwan is in need of defending itself because of the
Eva Tseng possibility of military threat from China, the pan-blue camp needs to stop their
Staff Writer government boycott and allow for the arms budget to pass.

3. In regards to President Chen’s policy of “proactive liberalization and effective

management”, the DPP believes that foreign investment for Taiwanese
companies should not focus entirely on China, but companies should take a
comprehensive global approach, which ultimately, is most beneficial for
Taiwan’s national interest.

4. President Chen issued his future plan in his next two years of presidency,
which includes: reforming improper assets obtained by political parties, fair
taxes and retirement benefits, constitutional, financial and media reforms.
Neither an election loss nor difficulties raised by opposition parties are going
to stop the DPP from pushing for reform. The DPP will continue persisting in
reform because we know that reform is never easy, and that is why we must

Visit the DPP’s NEW Blog at:

http://www.dpptaiwan.blogspot.com/
 3 DEMOCRACY & PROGRESS

Vice President Lu as DPP acting chairperson

“I personally announce that I will
not run as a candidate for the chairmanship
election, and my sole responsibility lies on
making sure that we have a fair election. I
hope that in this election, the DPP is able to
produce a capable and an outstanding leader
that can push forward the spirit of the DPP,
which is to reform and to promote ‘Taiwan
consciousnesses’.

I, standing as acting chairperson of

the party, hope to work together with fellow
party members in raising the values of the
DPP as well as uplift the soul of our party.”

- Vice President Annette Lu,

DPP acting chairperson

Vice President Lu Hsiu-lien (Annette) was appointed acting chairperson for the
DPP after the DPP’s election loss on December 3. She has since then visited the party
headquarters not only weekly for the Central Standing Committee meetings, but also has had
meetings with DPP staff and heads of each department. On Dec. 31, Vice President Lu
invited all DPP staff to East Eye Mountain in her native county of Taoyuan to welcome the
new holiday season. Prior to this event, Vice President Lu also had a sit-down tea time for
Lantern Festival, sharing the tradition of eating rice balls as part of the holiday treat, and at
the same time, holding an informal chat with staff. The mood in the headquarters has been
very good, said Secretary General Lee Yi-yiang. He says that the Vice President has
conscientiously put all her efforts in creating a good environment for the party after the
election, which progresses the DPP to “Go! Go! Go!”

DPP creates anti-corruption committee

The DPP has set-up an anti-corruption committee, which was officially launched on Dec. 21. The plan to create this
committee was developed before the Dec. 3rd election [the DPP’s Central Standing Committee approved its creation on October
25, 2005] in order to allow the committee to investigate members of the DPP, and also opening up for the public to make any
corruption charges against public officials, including executives from the top that include the president, premier, county
magistrates, city mayors and legislators.
Vice President Lu said the DPP hopes to maintain a clean image since coming to government, and to expand the support
of the public towards the party, which is why the committee will investigate on reports submitted by the public in general and not
restrict it to party members only.
The scope of investigation for the committee will include: general corruption offenses, profiteering, illegal lobbying,
bribery and improper benefits. The committee is comprised of seven members that will meet once a month and has the power to
investigate, supervise and bring to justice if a report is proven legitimate.
Honesty and clean politics is the main ideology that led to the founding of the party, just as when the Party Constitution
was written, one of the main guidelines was to “eliminate corruption and wipe out special interests”. Upholding these party
principles, the DPP not only received the people’s support for a green government in local counties and cities, but also the party
was able to transfer power all the way to central government. Been unable to achieve legislative majority, the DPP has had
difficulty in pushing for major reform, which has influenced the people’s support and trust for the DPP.
Described below is the category of party members:
1. President, vice president, legislators, county magistrate, city mayors, county and city councilors.
2. Members of the DPP central executive and arbitration committees and nationwide party representatives.
3. Members appointed by the chairman at the DPP headquarters and party staff involved in political affairs.
4. Members appointed by the president, also those under special circumstances.
5. Members appointed by the premier, also those that were submitted for recommendation to the president.
4 DEMOCRACY & PROGRESS

Foreign brides becoming fifth

largest minority group in Taiwan
The DPP’s Department of Women’s Development has been
working to raise national awareness about foreign spouses in Taiwan
and to promote equal rights for these new immigrants.
In Taiwan, there are over 400,000 foreign brides, making them
the fifth largest minority group. During August and September 2005,
the DPP sponsored a “Concern for Foreign Brides” essay writing
competition. The committee received a total of 31 entries from native
Taiwanese and 47 from foreign brides. Using what little Chinese they
had learned in school, many of these foreign brides from Southeast
Asia described in their essays the difficulties in adjusting to life in
Taiwan as well as their expectations for themselves and Taiwanese
society.
The hope is that the stories and experiences of these foreign
brides will raise national awareness and help Taiwanese people be DPP Secretary General Lee Yi-yiang (middle),
more open-minded towards them. Taipei City Councilor and Director of Dept. of
In other respects, the Executive Yuan recently passed a law that Women’s Development Hsu Chia-ching (left)
does not allow agencies that arrange marriages between Chinese pose with foreign brides. The majority of
mainlanders and Taiwanese. Additionally, advertisements for foreign
foreign brides in Taiwan come from Vietnam
brides are forbidden. DPP legislator Huang Wei-cher hosted a press
conference to raise an alert concerning arranged marriages with
and China, and this group is becoming the fifth
foreign brides. He reported there have been online advertisements that largest minority in Taiwan.
repeatedly advertise with catch phrases such as “guaranteed virgins”
and “if they escape, replacement guaranteed”. These types of
advertisements go against social norms and create a bad image of
foreign brides.

Green Era: 25 Years of Taiwan’s Democratic Movement

The recently released book, Green Era: 25 Years of Taiwan’s Democratic Movement, is a record of the democratic
movement in Taiwan from 1975 to 2000. The two-volume book was compiled by Chang Fu-chung and Chiu Wan-hsin, who
were participants in the democracy movement in Taiwan.
The first volume begins at the time of Chiang Kai-shek’s death until the end of martial law in 1987, while the second
volume covers the period from Chiang Ching-kuo’s death until the transfer of power from the KMT to the DPP in 2000.
The book includes over 1800 pictures, many of which were provided by democracy activists, newspaper and
magazine photographers.

For more details on the book:

please contact: Liao Zih-fei, 02-2735-6939