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Updated Monday, April 12, 2010 9:45 am TWN, The China Post news staff



	Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen, left, said that Taiwan is very likely to see a crisis of trust among generations because of its quickly aging population. (CNA) Enlarge Photo

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DPP sees trust crisis between ages

The seminar yesterday was presided over by Chu Hai-yuan, a research fellow at Academia Sinica's Institute of Social Sciences, and attended by many noted sociologists and economists.

Three other seminars will be held April 22, April 24 and May 2, to deal with three topics: the next wave of ecological disaster, Taiwan's new economic development strategy amid globalization, and Taiwan's strategy in the face of a changing international situation.

The DPP is scheduled to unveil its “10-year policy guidelines” at its 2010 national congress in August.

Some participants at yesterday's seminar echoed concern over the aging problem, saying increasing funds will have to be allocated to take care of the rising number of senior citizens and the move will further restrain the government's finances.

The prescriptions they proposed include encouraging female citizens to get married, raising the birth rate, increasing investments in children, extending the retirement age, establishing a mechanism under which the senior citizens can help each other, and properly accepting immigrants from abroad.

Some others criticized that the guidelines under discussion are election platforms. Responding to the criticism, Tsai said they would by no means be formulated for election purpose.

“Election platforms outline a short-term agenda and are much less painstaking in drawing up, while the planned 10-year policy guidelines will mainly target long-term problems,” she said.

Some expressed the concern that the DPP was capable of upholding respectable ideals but also tended to cast them away after becoming the governing party.

Tsai said the DPP has now amassed governing and administrative experiences. DPP members who had gained practical experience when the party was in power (from 2000 to 2008) will be invited to engage in brainstorming and discussion with the younger generation to pass down their experiences and knowledge. This will enhance the continuity of the values, ideals, and policies upheld by the party while helping to groom a new generation of talents, she explained.

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