[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 131 (Monday, October 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2094]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    WELCOMING FORMER TAIWANESE PRESIDENT LEE TENG-HUI TO WASHINGTON

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. THOMAS G. TANCREDO

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 17, 2005

  Mr. TANCREDO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome former Taiwanese 
President Lee Teng-Hui to Washington, D.C. this week.
  President Lee is perhaps best known as a primary architect of 
Taiwan's miraculous transition from dictatorship to democracy. He is a 
founding father of the island's well-known, vibrant, multiparty 
electoral system, and is often referred to simply as ``Mr. Democracy.''
  Lee helped engineer various political reforms after becoming Vice 
President in 1984 and remained a steadfast force for democratization on 
the island after assuming the presidency in 1988. He convinced members 
of Taiwan's legislature, who were elected on the Chinese mainland some 
forty years earlier, to retire--opening the door for free and open 
parliamentary elections. He also championed changes to Taiwan's 
constitution to allow for direct popular election of the president--
ushering in a new era of freedom in Taiwan.
  In 1996, Lee was elected President in Taiwan's first direct 
Presidential election. His election was a watershed moment, paving the 
way for a peaceful transition of power in 2000 when the people of 
Taiwan elected Democratic Progressive Party candidate Chen Shui-Bian as 
President--marking the end of five decades of one-party rule on the 
island.
  President Lee was able to engineer this transition peacefully, and 
under continued threats from communist China. His achievements 
demonstrate the power of democracy, and he deserves our respect for his 
determination and dedication to freedom.

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