Taipei, Feb. 9 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian urged his ruling team to keep their fingers on the public pulse and do their best to improve the public welfare.
Leading a group of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers and government officials on a hike in Yangmingshan Park, the president, who is also the DPP chairman, said the DPP is campaigning for the chance to improve the public welfare rather than for power.
He urged his ruling team to stick to its political goals and never quit before these goals are thoroughly carried out.
The president also explain the purpose of the hike, saying it is an common custom followed by local people to walk for leisure in the spring to usher in the beginning of a year.
But this outing was aimed at encouraging the ruling team to walk out of their offices and associate closely with the grassroots, "listening to the voice of the people."
Noting that the trail was the path used by people in the past to transport fish from the seaside village of Chinshan to Taipei, Chen also said he hopes the ruling team will enjoy good luck this year by staying on the road of abundance -- a homophone in Chinese for fish.