Taiwan Today

President Chiang Kai-shek urged the Nation­al Assembly to find another leader to serve as chief executive but to no avail. People and parliamentarians insisted that he be draft­ed for his fifth six-year term. The document of nomination, signed by delegates to the fifth session of the Assembly is shown left. At top left is announcement of the nomination, signed by members of the National Assembly. President Chiang's re-election took place March 21 with an acco­lade of 1308 votes. Spontaneous celebrations erupt­ed throughout the country. Newspapers is­sued extras (left, center). The results were announced at the City Auditorium in Taipei (left, bottom) as well as at the National Assembly session in the suburbs.

 

Official announcement of President Chiang's re-election is shown at top left. Many of those joining in street parades of rejoic­ing were women (far left, bottom). The group at left is standing in front of the Presi­dential and National Defense Building in downtown Taipei. President Chiang addressed the National Assembly's final session March 25. He pledged that "for the remainder of my life I shall endeavor to do my very best to extinguish the evil sources of Maoist treachery and violence internal­ly, while externally endeavoring to ensure welfare, peace and justice in free Asia."

 

Presidium of the fifth session of the National Assembly is shown left outside the Chungshan Building on Yangmingshan. Voting was by secret ballot as required by China's Constitution. Casting their votes are Ku Cheng-kang, a civic leader, and Chang Chun, the secre­tary-general of the Presidential Office.

Law requires that 10 per cent of members of the National Assembly must be women. The woman suffrage movement goes back to the early days of the Republic. Under the Constitution women have equal rights and a little more. They are assured of representation in parliamentary bodies. Women's lib is already a fact in China.

President Chiang has been at the anti-Communist helm for a half century and has met with and influenced most of the free world statesmen of this century. Top: Historic Cairo Conference with President Franklin Roose­velt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Center and bottom: Meetings with the foreign press.

 

Top: General Douglas MacArthur had high respect for President Chiang's military genius and political sagacity. Center: A discussion with President Quirino of the Philippines on prob­lems of Asian security. Bottom: Visit to Taiwan by John Foster Dulles, U.S. Secretary of State and a freedom fighter.

 

Top: President Chiang and the late Hu Shih, one of China's leading writers and philosophers of the modern era (third from left). Bottom: At a reception for members of the National Assembly whose ages had passed the honor mark of 80.

 

Top: The chief executive toasts overseas Chinese leaders who have done so much to help the fatherland. Bottom: The President's reception for foreign personnel serving in Taiwan. These are held annually for both military and civilians.

President Chiang has given this counsel to the Chinese nation: Do not be disquieted in time of adverse change. Be firm with dignity, self-reliant with vigor.