TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Peace is the only path for Taiwan, independent presidential candidate Terry Gou (郭台銘) said on Saturday (Oct. 21).
During an event in Tainan, Gou said that his platform has three objectives: achieving cross-strait peace, maintaining the development of Taiwan's economy, and upholding a transparent government that ensures the well-being of its citizens. Gou said this will allow the Republic of China to thrive on the beautiful island of Taiwan, CNA reported.
Both Taiwan and China must come to the table for negotiations, as without them, Taiwan's economic future remains uncertain, he said.
Gou emphasized that his candidacy is aimed at serving the 23 million people of Taiwan and focusing on Taiwan's economy. He urged the government to spend money wisely and stressed that as long as there is no war, people can have security, stable employment, and financial well-being.
Gou has called for electoral reform so that Taiwan’s president and head of government can only be directly elected with an absolute majority of votes. He criticized the current system, saying that a candidate only needs to receive the most votes compared to other candidates to win the presidency.
A winning candidate should be required to secure an absolute majority, he added.
Gou’s presidential campaign office spokesperson Huang Shih-hsiu (黃士修) recently suggested that there is an opportunity for Taiwan People’s Party (TTP) leader Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and Gou to form an alliance. Cooperation between the two candidates could amplify their political influence, he said. This could help the TTP secure a majority in the Legislative Yuan, he said.
