江主席與四位縣長發表公開信
呼籲蔡總統專案授權地方政府採購疫苗
中國國民黨主席江啟臣今（2）日上午與南投縣長林明溱、花蓮縣長徐榛蔚、雲林縣長張麗善以及台東縣長饒慶鈴等四位黨籍執政縣市首長，共同發表致蔡英文總統的公開信，強調「救人如救火，救人不能等！」呼籲蔡總統比照永齡基金會、台積電及慈濟基金會的模式，以專案方式，授權地方政府採購疫苗。公開信中強調，中央與地方如果能齊心爭取疫苗，加速擴大施打，提高我國疫苗施打率，早日達到集體免疫目標，定為民主典範。
公開信如下：
蔡總統英文女士鈞鑒：
新冠肺炎病毒肆虐，截至昨天為止已經造成累計1萬4853例確診， 661例死亡病例。在強制降低人民活動的作為，全民共同防疫的努力下，疫情雖有趨緩，然而參考國外經驗，在未施打足夠疫苗，達到群體免疫目標前，疫情仍有反覆升溫的隱憂。
普遍施打疫苗，仍為解決疫情最終的解方。樂見日前總統閣下，以專案申請方式授權永齡基金會，台灣積體電路製造股份有限公司以及佛教慈濟慈善事業基金會，對外採購疫苗，公私協力，積極為國人爭取充足、有效，且經國際認證的新冠肺炎疫苗，符合人民期待！
公私既然可以協力，地方與中央更應該齊心。
南投縣政府、花蓮縣政府、雲林縣政府以及台東縣政府，日前也依循中央疫情指揮中心所宣布的申請方案，依照永齡基金會等民間團體、企業的模式，向食藥署提出採購疫苗申請，但迄今仍未收到相關答覆，讓我們深感憂慮。
救人如救火，救人不能等！
當其他國家都已經開始規劃下一階段的疫苗佈局，我們卻連第一劑全面施打的疫苗到貨時間，都還無法期待，著實令人擔憂。
現階段地方政府願意略盡薄力，在能力範圍內，增加疫苗購買的數量，仍期望總統能比照永齡基金會，台灣積體電路製造股份有限公司以及佛教慈濟慈善事業基金會的模式，以專案方式，授權地方政府採購疫苗。中央地方政府如果能夠齊心爭取疫苗，加速擴大施打，提高我國疫苗施打率，早日達到集體免疫目標，定為民主典範。
防疫不分黨派，中央地方更是堅定的夥伴。為了縣民百姓，我們懇請總統答應所請，更願意親赴總統府說明採購疫苗初衷，期盼總統以蒼生為念，以國家人民利益為優先，儘速同意我們的請求，一起對抗新冠肺炎病毒的肆虐。耑此
順頌 時綏
江啟臣、林明溱、徐榛蔚、張麗善、饒慶鈴 謹啟
中華民國一一〇年七月二日
Open Letter from Chairman Chiang and Four County Executives Calls Upon President to Authorize Local Governments to Procure Vaccines
Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang, together with four KMT elected officials: Nantou County Executive Lin Ming-chen, Hualien County Executive Hsu Chen-wei, Yunlin County Executive Chang Li-shan, and Taitung County Executive Yao Ching-ling, jointly released an open letter to President Tsai Ing-wen this morning (July 2nd). In this open letter, they emphasized that “saving the people is like fighting a fire; saving the people cannot wait!” In this way, they called upon President Tsai to authorize, by way of special project, procurement of vaccines by local governments according to the methods used by the Yonglin Foundation, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, and the Tzu Chi Foundation. This open letter also emphasized that if the central government and local governments can work together to strive for vaccines, expedite and expand the scope of vaccinations, improve the vaccination rate of our country, and promptly achieve the objective of herd immunity, then we would truly be a paragon of democracy.
The open letter reads as follows:
Your Excellency Madam President Tsai Ing-wen:
COVID-19 has wrought havoc. As of yesterday, there are already 14,853 total confirmed cases and 661 deaths from the virus. Enforcement of the reduction of the people’s activities and under the great efforts of the entire population to jointly fight the pandemic, the pandemic situation has abated. However, if we consult the experiences of other countries, with an insufficiency of vaccinations, before attaining the goal of herd immunity, there remains an underlying concern that the pandemic situation will intensify repeatedly.
Widespread vaccination remains the final way to resolve the pandemic situation. We are glad to see that your Excellency Madam President recently, by way of special project applications, authorized the Yonglin Foundation, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), and the Tzu Chi Foundation to procure vaccines from abroad, uniting the public and private sectors, actively striving for sufficient, effective, and internationally verified COVID-19 vaccines for our compatriots, as the people have been looking forward to.
Since the public and private sectors can unite, local governments and the central government should be even more able to work together.
The Nantou County government, Hualien County government, Yunlin County government, and Taitung County government have all complied with the Central Epidemic Command Center’s published application procedures and thus applied to the Food and Drug Administration for vaccine procurement according to the methods used by the Yonglin Foundation and other non-governmental organizations and firms. However, they have yet to receive a relevant reply. This causes us great concern.
Saving the people is like fighting a fire; saving the people cannot wait!
While other countries are already beginning to plan a period of vaccination, we still can’t even expect a timetable for the arrival of comprehensive first-round vaccinations. This is truly concerning.
Local governments are currently willing to expend a small amount of effort, doing what they can, to increase the quantity of vaccines purchased. They remain hopeful that Madam President can, according to the methods used by the Yonglin Foundation, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, and Tzu Chi Foundation, by way of special project, authorize local governments to procure vaccines. If the central government and local governments can work together to strive for vaccines, expedite and expand the scope of vaccinations, improve the vaccination rate of our country, and promptly achieve the objective of herd immunity, then we would truly be a paragon of democracy.
Pandemic prevention does not distinguish between political parties; the central government and local governments are even more so staunch allies. For the sake of the common people in these counties, we beseech Madam President to agree to our request. We are more than willing to travel to the Presidential Palace to explain our primary intentions for vaccine procurement. We hope that Madam President will think of the common people, prioritize the interests of the nation and people, approve our request as quickly as possible, and fight the devastation of the COVID-19 virus together with us.
Respectfully,
Johnny Chiang, Lin Ming-chen, Hsu Chen-wei, Chang Li-shan, Yao Ching-ling
July 2nd, 2021
