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 News from Around the Americas | January 2008 
Five Former Presidents Attend Democracy Forum in Taiwan
 Deutsche Presse-Agentur
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| | Taiwan's Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (front row, 3rd L) poses for a group photo with his cabinet in Taipei January 24, 2008. Taiwan's cabinet resigned en masse on January 24, as per custom following the election of a new parliament, which saw the main opposition Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, capture 81 out of 113 seats. (Reuters/Nicky Loh) | | |
Taipei - Taiwan held the first Global Forum on New Democracies Friday, with five former presidents participating.
Seven former presidents were scheduled to attend the meeting, but Jolio Jelev of Bulgaria could not come due to heavy fog at Sofia airport, while Vicente Fox of Mexico cancelled after the Mexican government expressed concerns that his visit might hurt Mexico-China trade talks, the Taiwan Foreign Ministry said.
The former presidents who did attend were Kim Young Sam of South Korea, Willem de Klerk of South Africa, Lech Walesa of Poland, Emil Constantinescu of Romania and Francisco Flores of El Salvador.
The participants discussed the achievements and challenges of new democracies, including the choice of a constitutional system, party politics, transitional justice and civil society, and sign a declaration.
The Global Forum on New Democracies was held in Taipei by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and co-sponsored by the Taiwan government.
At the forum, President Chen Shui-bian urged China to introduce democracy, starting with the nationalization of the Chinese army.
Chen said he thought China's adoption of democracy could happen all of a sudden, like the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
At the end of the forum, the participants issued a declaration calling on all countries to denounce totalitarianism and to support democracy.
The declaration opposed using force to solve disputes, or aiding or encouraging totalitarianism, and restricting or depriving human rights.
It called for greater cooperation among new democracies to exchange their experiences in promoting democracy.
The forum also announcing the launch of the Global Business Partnership Award.
The 100,000-US-dollar award per person will be issued to 10 people in business or enterprise who have made outstanding contributions to global democracy. |
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