The DPP government plans to strengthen its efforts to carry President Chen Shui-bian's
During last week's policy making meeting for the president's nine-member task force, an agreement was made to draw on more of the government's resources to crack down on crime at the grassroots level.
"People have a deep-seated hatred, not only of gangsters who are involved in politics, who were members of crime organizations and then become congressmen, but also from their personal encounters with theft and robbery," said DPP legislative caucus leader Perng Shaw-jiin (
Perng said that the government should place more importance on what the general public feels than worry about what politicians are saying.
Hsu Tain-tsair (許添財), the head of the DPP's legislative caucus, agreed.
"Residents can't stand it when crime seems to surround them," Hsu said.
During the meeting the president asked members to evaluate the recent move by opposition members to push for his recall.
In their comments, task force members focused on the importance of some independent lawmakers halting their support of the KMT's push to oust Chen. In order to pass a recall vote in the Legislative Yuan, some 147 votes are needed.
Of those votes, a crucial number, seven, need to come from independent lawmakers.
One source in the meeting said that legal cases have pressured some lawmakers, such as Tsai Hao (蔡豪), Luo Fu-chu (羅福助) and Wu Tse-yuan (伍澤元) into taking a neutral stance, helping stave off the push for a recall of the president.
"Tsai is scared because of an scandal that he is suspected of involvement in and Wu faces similar problems," the source said. "For now they should keep a low profile and not support the opposition party alliance."
Tsai is suspected of involvement in a land scandal and Wu was sentenced to 15 years last week, after being found guilty of accepting bribes in the handling of a flood prevention project between 1988 and 1992. A medical parole has allowed Wu to stay out of jail and continue to serve in the legislature.
Perng also suggested that the government be as even-handed as possible in its crack down on black gold since the DPP had to use its achievements to help boost its campaign in next year's legislative elections.
Perng said that the approach could also be used to counter opposition parties' possible attack of the government's economic policies.
The nine-member task force includes the president, Vice President Annette Lu
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
NO CHANGE: The TRA makes clear that the US does not consider the status of Taiwan to have been determined by WWII-era documents, a former AIT deputy director said The American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) comments that World War-II era documents do not determine Taiwan’s political status accurately conveyed the US’ stance, the US Department of State said. An AIT spokesperson on Saturday said that a Chinese official mischaracterized World War II-era documents as stating that Taiwan was ceded to the China. The remarks from the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan drew criticism from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, whose director said the comments put Taiwan in danger. The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that a US State Department spokesperson confirmed the AIT’s position. They added that the US would continue to
The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency as well as long-term residency in Taiwan has decreased, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday, adding that the reduction of Chinese spouses staying or living in Taiwan is only one facet reflecting the general decrease in the number of people willing to get married in Taiwan. The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency last year was 7,123, down by 2,931, or 29.15 percent, from the previous year. The same census showed that the number of Chinese spouses applying for long-term residency and receiving approval last year stood at 2,973, down 1,520,
EASING ANXIETY: The new guide includes a section encouraging people to discuss the threat of war with their children and teach them how to recognize disinformation The Ministry of National Defense’s All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency yesterday released its updated civil defense handbook, which defines the types of potential military aggression by an “enemy state” and self-protection tips in such scenarios. The agency has released three editions of the handbook since 2022, covering information from the preparation of go-bags to survival tips during natural disasters and war. Compared with the previous edition, released in 2023, the latest version has a clearer focus on wartime scenarios. It includes a section outlining six types of potential military threats Taiwan could face, including destruction of critical infrastructure and most undersea cables, resulting in