President Tsai Ing-wen and former President Lee Teng-hui have both attended a conference commemorating 20 years of democracy in Taiwan.
Lee was elected in 1996 in what was Taiwan’s first direct presidential election and a milestone in its emergence from decades of martial law. During the conference, Tsai said she hopes her administration’s emphasis on reconciliation and transitional justice will serve as the final milestone on Taiwan’s journey to democracy.
Tsai said her administration has already faced a number of issues during its first three months. She said her administration does not shy away from areas of controversy, because these help the government address the core of the country’s problems.
Tsai said that one of her administration’s biggest projects is the promotion of transitional justice. She said that by reflecting on and discussing Taiwan’s authoritarian past, society can move on and Taiwanese politics can move beyond its bitter divisions rooted in history. She said she hopes that in another twenty years, her government’s legacy will also be seen as a democratic milestone.
During the event, former President Lee Teng-hui said that the authoritarian mindset has not yet disappeared from Taiwan. But Lee said he is pleased to have seen three democratic transfers of power between political parties and that he is happy to see the vigor of Taiwan’s civil society.