When speaking at a handing-over and taking-over ceremony of the Taiwan Chapter of Lions Club International (TCLCI) on July 21, Vice President Annette Lu called on civic groups to support the "Blue Sky, Green Land, Perfect Taiwan" campaign to be embarking on this coming August.
There have been too many confrontations and disagreements between the ruling party and the opposition since the first political power transfer in Taiwan's history in 2000, the vice president said. The political contention has obstructed the government's policy implementations and left important bills pended in the legislature, she added.
Therefore, "conflicts between the ruling and opposition parties are the last thing that the people of Taiwan would expect," she said, encouraging a harmonious blending of the ruling green (Democratic Progressive Party) and the opposing pan-blue (mainly the Nationalist Kuomintang and the People First Party).
To do so, the vice president has formulated three forums on peaceful mind, social harmony, and national security, to be held in this August. Discussions in these forums will focus on how to eradicate corruption and build up government integrity, she said.
Taiwan can not achieve democracy unless its national security, social stability, and the comfort of its people have been attained, she emphasized.