Though former president Lee Teng-hui (
KMT heavyweight Liang Su-jung (
TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO
Liang said that Lee's support for the DPP's Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and other pro-Taiwan politicians was evidence that he is a member of their group.
Lee said in Los Angeles yesterday that he would continue to fight for Taiwan's democratic and economic reforms.
"In my 80s, I am still as strong [as I was] to fight against political chaos," Lee told some 1,600 followers at an evangelical gathering, recalling Joshua's words from the Old Testament.
Lee then went on to criticize politicians who he said are responsible for Taiwan's political turmoil, though he didn't provide any names.
"Mainstream public opinion hasn't been taken into consideration for the past year and has only further crippled the DPP government.
"Also, someone has severely deviated from the goal I've achieved in past years," Lee said.
The former chairman of the KMT has been upset that Lien Chan (連戰), the party's current chairman, has abandoned Lee's "Taiwan first" and localization policies in favor of a pro-China stance.
Liang yesterday presented Chen Ken-ching (陳庚金), head of the disciplinary committee, with his petition and endorsement by 16 other members of the party's central review committee asking that Lee's membership in the party be revoked.
"Lee wants to take the KMT's money to help the DPP. Such a traitor should be ousted," Liang said.
In response, Chen Ken-ching said that he would make a report to the party's headquarters, while the party's secretary-general Lin Fong-cheng (
Lee is expected to return to Taiwan tonight. Some high-ranking KMT officials are still undecided as to whether they should go to the airport to greet Lee.
Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
A close aide to Lee, Huang Chu-wen (
"Only those who try to bluff need to mobilize people to greet him at the airport," Huang said.
Members of several pro-DPP groups including the Northern Taiwan Society (
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from