Liberty Times
There was a sense of betrayal among many Taiwanese as Ma Ying-jeou in late 2011 had promised that he would "absolutely never meet with mainland leaders over the next four years". Presidential candidate and incumbent chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Tsai Ing-wen called the proposed meeting a manipulation of the January elections and described the decision-making process as opaque. She added that the meeting has caused a wave of questions and public doubts as people have grown to mistrust the administration's plan for cross-strait relations. The "Liberty Times" echoed Tsai's concerns that parliament and the public had been excluded from the decision-making. After the meeting, Tsai criticized President Ma for making no reference to preserving Taiwan's democracy and freedom. She maintained that only the upcoming elections can decide Taiwan's future.