On Monday, the TAIEX fell 244 points. It's not difficult to fathom that recent political instability has led to poor stock performance, but the decline in shares has also spawned conspiracy theories. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) believes the opposition parties' mobilization to recall the president and topple Premier Su Tseng-chang's (
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) held cross-party talks on whether to hold an extraordinary legislative session to review some urgently needed bills. Legislators from ruling and opposition parties have agreed to the session, but are split over which bills should be given priority. DPP legislators hope to prioritize budget bills related to people's livelihoods and the economy, while opposition legislators want to prioritize legislation related to the presidential recall campaign and direct links. Given this deep political chasm, the session could simply provide another occasion for pointless political bickering.
The insider-trading case involving Chen's son-in-law Chao Chien-ming (趙建銘) has attracted huge political and media interest. Every development stirs more controversy. Whether Chao is implicated in the scandal or not, the case will have serious implications for the nation's political scene. Nevertheless, the seemingly endless coverage of it is surely abnormal.
The investigation into Chao's case is about to come to a close. The prosecutor will decide whether to present an indictment against Chao. But we cannot start discussing what legal and political responsibility Chen must bear until Chao is found guilty of the charges presented, or Chen and his family members are implicated. Prior to this, any attempt to force the resignation of the premier or recall the president is unwise and will likely plunge the nation into further turmoil.
While the People First Party (PFP) is planning to unseat Chen, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is taking aim at the Cabinet. Since recalling the president requires the approval of two-thirds of legislators, the KMT thinks it doesn't have the numbers. However, the pan-blues do possess enough legislative seats to force the resignation of the Cabinet. If Chen decided to dissolve the legislature in response, this would force an election, which under the Constitution, would be under the new "single-district, two-vote" system. That means half the legislators would be out of a job. While neither KMT nor PFP legislators desire this, the result would be worse for the PFP, which would likely dissolve completely, allowing the KMT to dislodge both of its political rivals in one go. But, unable to put its ideal plan into action, the KMT has settled on launching a petition to recall the president, so that it does not lose support to the PFP.
The scandals surrounding Chen's entourage and his family are extremely regrettable. It is imperative that law enforcement officials conduct a thorough investigation into all the allegations and find out who is responsible. The public should remain cool and not give politicians an opportunity to engage in further strife. While the recall proposal can be discussed at the special legislative session, issues involving people's livelihoods should top the agenda. Otherwise, contention over the recall is likely to overwhelm all other bills, rendering a special session pointless.
In the past month, two important developments are poised to equip Taiwan with expanded capabilities to play foreign policy offense in an age where Taiwan’s diplomatic space is seriously constricted by a hegemonic Beijing. Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) led a delegation of Taiwan and US companies to the Philippines to promote trilateral economic cooperation between the three countries. Additionally, in the past two weeks, Taiwan has placed chip export controls on South Africa in an escalating standoff over the placing of its diplomatic mission in Pretoria, causing the South Africans to pause and ask for consultations to resolve
An altercation involving a 73-year-old woman and a younger person broke out on a Taipei MRT train last week, with videos of the incident going viral online, sparking wide discussions about the controversial priority seats and social norms. In the video, the elderly woman, surnamed Tseng (曾), approached a passenger in a priority seat and demanded that she get up, and after she refused, she swung her bag, hitting her on the knees and calves several times. In return, the commuter asked a nearby passenger to hold her bag, stood up and kicked Tseng, causing her to fall backward and
In South Korea, the medical cosmetic industry is fiercely competitive and prices are low, attracting beauty enthusiasts from Taiwan. However, basic medical risks are often overlooked. While sharing a meal with friends recently, I heard one mention that his daughter would be going to South Korea for a cosmetic skincare procedure. I felt a twinge of unease at the time, but seeing as it was just a casual conversation among friends, I simply reminded him to prioritize safety. I never thought that, not long after, I would actually encounter a patient in my clinic with a similar situation. She had
A recent trio of opinion articles in this newspaper reflects the growing anxiety surrounding Washington’s reported request for Taiwan to shift up to 50 percent of its semiconductor production abroad — a process likely to take 10 years, even under the most serious and coordinated effort. Simon H. Tang (湯先鈍) issued a sharp warning (“US trade threatens silicon shield,” Oct. 4, page 8), calling the move a threat to Taiwan’s “silicon shield,” which he argues deters aggression by making Taiwan indispensable. On the same day, Hsiao Hsi-huei (蕭錫惠) (“Responding to US semiconductor policy shift,” Oct. 4, page 8) focused on
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