Tsai
Ing-wen, 59, Taiwan's first female president was sworn into office this morning
after winning the presidential polls in January. Almost 700 dignitaries from 59
countries watched Tsai, leader of the Beijing-skeptic Democratic Progressive
Party (DPP), receive the presidential seal at Taipei’s Ching-kuo Hall.
Ms
Tsai and her independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), in
defeating the Kuomintang (KMT), ended an eight-year rapprochement with Beijing
under outgoing president Ma Ying-jeou. Voters felt Mr Ma had moved too close to
China, which still sees self-ruling Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting
reunification.
The
former law professor who studied in the U.S takes over from outgoing Kuomintang
(KMT, or Nationalist Party) President Ma Ying-jeou, who was ineligible for
re-election after two four-year terms.
“At
this moment, Taiwan’s situation is very difficult,” said Tsai in her
inauguration speech. “I invite every fellow citizen to carry the future of this
country.”
“Taiwan
has been a model citizen in global civil society,” Tsai told the 20,000
capacity crowd, “Since our democratization, we have persisted in upholding the
universal values of peace, freedom, democracy and human rights.”
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