The following address was delivered today by Premier Jiang Yi-huah in response to a no-confidence motion initiated by the Democratic Progressive Party:
My fellow countrymen and women, friends from the press:
Good morning! Last Friday at the Legislative Yuan, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) proposed a no-confidence motion to remove me from the Executive Yuan and topple my Cabinet. A no-confidence motion is a significant event under the Constitution, and one that I take seriously. Hence, we have called this press conference to explain the Executive Yuan's response to the people of Taiwan.
Ever since the ROC Constitution was amended to permit no-confidence votes against the premier, only three such motions have been tendered—two of them by the DPP in the past two years. This time, the DPP has cited seven reasons, the most serious of which accuses me of infringing on the Constitution and causing political disorder. I am here to respond to these allegations and clarify the Cabinet's position.
Did not incite political feuding
In its no-confidence motion, the DPP has accused me of "conspiring to incite political battle to the detriment of democracy and Constitutional order." But as everyone in the country knows, the recent string of events began with a case of influence peddling involving legislators. During a separate probe into corruption among judicial officials, the Supreme Prosecutors Office's Special Investigation Division (SID) inadvertently overheard a conversation between DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming and Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-Pyng, in which the two were suspected of improper lobbying and interference in a judiciary case. Throughout this entire process, I was not the one peddling influence, nor did I have any authority to sway SID investigations. Therefore, the DPP is entirely groundless in branding me as conspiring with others to instigate political feuds.
Did not infringe on Constitution or cause political disorder
The DPP also accused me of openly interfering with the independence of the Legislature and attempting to tilt balance of power, but this allegation could not be further from the truth. I have already provided a transcript from that interview with the press, proving I never said "we are ready for a Legislative Yuan without Wang Jin-pyng." The statement has misled some into believing that the Executive Yuan has been meddling in the Legislative Yuan's internal affairs, but a simple review of my original transcript will show my intended meaning, which is that "the administrative team must be prepared to face any possibility."
From the time the influence peddling case came to light, I have neither infringed on the Constitution nor caused political disorder. Rather, I have attended every Legislative Yuan sitting to which I have been invited, ready to present my administrative report and answer to legislators as required by the Constitution. The DPP, however, has blocked my report by occupying the floor, demanding an apology and listing four pre-conditions for allowing me to speak. Over the past month my administrative team and I have visited the Legislative Yuan six times, and six times I have been denied the chance to deliver our report and complete the interpellation session.
As we all know, the Constitution clearly states that the Executive Yuan has a duty to present a statement of its administrative policies and that lawmakers have the right to question these policies. During the previous weeks, the Executive Yuan has abided by the Constitution while opposition lawmakers have been staging filibusters and forfeiting their rights to interpellation. I believe it is very clear to the people of Taiwan whether or not our administrative team has "infringed on the Constitution or caused political disorder."
No tolerance for illegal wiretapping
Regarding accusations of permitting improper wiretapping of the Legislative Yuan's switchboard, I must assert again that illegal surveillance will not be tolerated in a democratic country and that even legal surveillance operations must conform to the principle of proportionality. To determine the legitimacy of the SID's wiretapping operation, I immediately ordered the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to form an investigative panel to look into the case and to include experts from the private sector.
The outcome of this investigation was announced last Friday with all members of the panel agreeing that the SID violated no laws in wiretapping the "0972" phone number, and that the tap was not deliberate but resulted from administrative oversights. The panel also recommended that SID staff found in dereliction of duties be referred to the MOJ's Prosecutors Evaluation Committee for further deliberation. The Executive Yuan fully respects and supports these findings and recommendations, and urges all government personnel to learn from the incident.
Although the SID has been cleared by the panel of deliberately wiretapping the Legislature, public concerns still linger about whether they abused their powers. To protect the rule of law and people's rights to privacy, the government must examine the system to root out illegal surveillance and prohibit prosecutors from indiscriminate wiretapping. I have already assigned these tasks to the MOJ. And since the procedures for prosecutors requesting court permission for wiretaps involve the jurisdictions of both the Executive Yuan and the Judicial Yuan, I have reached a consensus with Judicial Yuan President Rai Hau-min to establish a cooperative platform to conduct a legal and administrative review of the wiretapping mechanism.
My fellow countrymen and women, a no-confidence vote is a Constitutional mechanism designed not only to allow lawmakers to keep the Executive Yuan's performance and directions in check but also to afford the Executive Yuan an opportunity to solidify the legitimacy of its policies. Therefore, while I respect the DPP's right to propose the no-confidence vote, I reject their reasons for doing so and I believe the Legislative Yuan will make the correct decision when the time comes.
Concerned for Taiwan's future
What really concerns me is not whether the vote of no-confidence will pass, but rather how Taiwan's political situation will be affected by this confrontational atmosphere, how the economy can grow and how the public welfare can be secured.
My fellow citizens, Taiwan has always been a place full of vitality. More than 400 years ago, our forebears crossed the Taiwan Strait from mainland China and overcame numerous difficulties to build this country from nothing. Throughout the past 50 years, our parents and grandparents devoted themselves to national growth and democratization, achieving economic and political miracles that are the envy of the world. If we stay the course of economic liberalization, we can make Taiwan an even brighter and better place.
Over the past 10-plus years, however, our prospects have been overshadowed by other events. Political conflicts have driven people apart and slowed economic growth. After squandering so much energy clashing, the ruling and opposition parties have yet to establish a rational and positive model of interaction. Hence, these disputes have extended to the social and economic spheres, weakening national cohesion and reducing opportunities for economic development. This is very worrisome to those who care about Taiwan's future, including me.
Speeding up economic development
The challenges we face now are in various areas. The first is the economy. In this era of globalization, more countries are joining regional economic organizations and benefiting from reduced customs duties, liberalized flow of personnel and capital, and more job opportunities. Taiwan, however, has been slow to sign free trade agreements with other countries and customs areas due to internal feuding, and as a result we are missing out on crucial opportunities.
The Cross-Strait Agreement on Trade in Services is a typical example. Clearly this pact serves the greater good and will give Taiwanese businesses an edge over Japanese and Korean competitors in the mainland market, but we have only been able to sit helplessly for the past three months with no legislative approval in sight. We hope to see quick ratification for this accord as well as Taiwan's economic cooperation agreement with New Zealand and the special act for free economic pilot zones.
Closing urban-rural gap
The second challenge I observe is the ever-growing development gap between urban and rural areas. My dear countrymen and women, over the past five years we have invested a great deal in non-urban infrastructure, including electrification of railways, upgrades to public buses and medical care, improvements in Internet connections and education, better flood management and farmland revitalization. While these efforts have produced a certain degree of success, we need even greater boldness to accomplish more, particularly in the cultivation of local specialties and creation of job opportunities. Only with the central and local governments acting together can we overcome the bottlenecks hindering local industry development.
Improving long-term care system
A third major trial stems from our changing demographics, especially the rapid aging of the population. Almost every family has an elder who is in need of long-term care. Some of our parents and our grandparents are healthy, but some are handicapped. If an elderly family member needs round-the-clock care, the middle generation immediately faces serious challenges to their work schedules and everyday lives, to say nothing of the impact of the cost of that care on family finances.
Over the past several years, we have promoted a service network for long-term care, but it must be more comprehensive and better meet the needs of the public. Additional wisdom and creativity are still needed. Some new ideas have been presented in recent Cabinet discussions, and I will ask the minister of health and welfare to follow up on them with concrete plans.
Helping youths realize dreams
Finally, we must be attentive to the situation of young people and their futures. They should not lag the previous generation whether in education, international experiences, creativity or ambition. Because of the nation's grim economic situation, however, many youths have been unable to find jobs that utilize their talents, and this has even influenced their decisions on marriage and starting families.
Academics like me have long been concerned about whether students can find solid employment and make their dreams come true. I hope that during my term as premier, I can through the planning of systems and policies help more young people realize their hopes and ideals. Hence, I've already asked Minister without Portfolio Joyce Yen Feng to ensure that the programs of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Education, Council of Labor Affairs, National Science Council and other relevant agencies contribute to facilitating youth entrepreneurship and employment.
Facing these challenges, no corresponding policies the nation has devised can tackle the heart of the issues in one fell swoop, but we cannot hesitate because of that. Our countermeasures must be stronger and faster, because we are competing not with the Taiwan of yesterday but rather with the world of tomorrow. This is a race against time, and we absolutely must not lose it.
Focused on our mission
My fellow citizens, the administrative team standing before you is determined to act. It is concerned not with credit or blame but only with promoting whatever benefits Taiwan and eradicating whatever harms us.
I have always demanded this group to be open to public opinion and continually reflect on how to improve government. We sincerely hope to earn the public's support and accomplish great things for the country during our tenure. Taiwan's future cannot wait.
The no-confidence vote will take place tomorrow. We trust in and are grateful for the full support of the ruling party caucus. If this motion fails, meaning the Legislature expresses its confidence in this team, I will promptly report our administrative plan to everyone.
Your support and encouragement are appreciated. We will not disappoint you. I wish you all health and happiness. Thank you!