TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The new Taiwanese government will take office on May 20, and the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) has announced plans for a major rally on May 19 in front of the Democratic Progressive Party headquarters to express dissatisfaction with President Tsai Ing-wen's failure to implement reforms during her eight-year tenure.
TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je called for unity across political lines on Thursday (May 9) to push for judicial, media, and constitutional reforms. He emphasized the importance of grassroots action to initiate real change.
Ko criticized the DPP for not fulfilling its promises to abolish the Examination Yuan and The Control Yuan, institutions criticized for being outdated and a waste of public funds. He said, "The DPP once promised to abolish these institutions, but once in power, they filled these positions to reward their own. Hence, we will start our reforms from this point to do what the DPP once promised."
Ko is currently criticized for several controversial corruption cases, such as the Core Pacific City Mall redevelopment project, the Nangang BOT project, and the Beitou Shilin Technology Park project. The May 19 rally is seen as a strategy to divert attention from these allegations.
In response, Ko defended his record, pointing out that the council had reviewed every budget. He stated, "Every budget of the fruit and vegetable market has been reviewed by the City Council. The council members who came out to speak today, where were you when the budget was reviewed? Why didn't you say anything back then?"