5 months ago
45
Lai represents an historic third term in power for the pro-sovereignty Democratic Progressive party (DPP) and will replace incumbant Tsai Ing-wen
It’s 8.35am in Taipei and welcome to our live coverage of Taiwan’s inauguration of a new president, Lai Ching-te. I’m Helen Sullivan and I’ll be with you for the next while.
Lai Ching-te is from the incumbent Democratic Progressive party (DPP) and was elected as the new president in January, ushering in a historic third term in power for the party.
Lai Ching-te , 64, was president Tsai Ing-wen’s chosen successor, having served as vice president from 2019
He is a former public health expert has been in politics since 1996
Lai has long been popular; in 2014 he was re-elected as mayor of Tainan with a record-breaking 72.9% of the vote
January’s national election was his second tilt at the presidency, after he lost a challenge for the nomination to the incumbent Tsai in 2019, instead joining her on the ticket as vice-president
Lai has been described as more “green” (pro-independence) than Tsai, which had prompted some concern about whether a Lai presidency could worsen cross-strait tensions
In 2017 he described himself as a “pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence”, but has since stepped back from the stance, and is now sticking to Tsai’s more cautious formulation on Taiwan – that it is already a sovereign nation with no need to declare independence. “We have to be unified, continue to strengthen Taiwan, protect the democratic frontline and ensure Taiwan’s security,” he said in April.
Continue reading...
