The two-month-long protest and resistance against the legitimacy of President Chen Shui-bian's (
The think tank yesterday held a press conference to release the results of a public opinion poll investigating the public's attitudes toward the two-month long protest by the KMT and People First Party (PFP).
Its findings showed that the disapproval rate of the pan-blues' protests has increased to 67.8 percent from 53 percent.
The poll also found that if the election were held today, 60 percent of the public would vote for the Democratic Progressive Party-backed presidential ticket of Chen and Vice President Annette Lu (
The poll surveyed 1,025 eligible voters from June 3 to June 4 through telephone interviews. The margin of error is 3.06 percent.
Political commentator Chin Heng-wei (
Chin said the pan-blue alliance's strategy of holding post-election protests has proved to be a fiasco as few people agree with the appeal to hold a re-election.
But among the three parties in the blue camp, Chin said the protests have hurt the KMT the most, while the small, pro-unification New Party benefited the most.
In terms of support for political parties, the polls conducted after the March 20 election and the May 20 presidential inauguration showed that the DPP and its partner, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), have increased their public approval rating to 33.5 percent from the previous 23.4 percent.
Projecting that this political strength could be maintained until the year-end legislative elections, Chin said small parties such as the TSU and the New Party have a good chance of expanding their representation in the legislature.
Political analyst Yang Sen-hong (
Yang predicted that the DPP's strength might dwindle a little bit in the legislative poll.
As for the blue camp, Yang said the KMT could probably garner 50 seats, while the PFP and New Party could take 40 and 10 seats, respectively.
Yang also pointed out that the percentage of people who regard the election-eve assassination attempt on President Chen as fraud increased from 29.7 percent to 31 percent in the two month period between March 30 and May 20 -- a warning that the DPP should seriously consider speeding up the investigation into the assassination attempt.
Yang urged the DPP to set up a "truth-probe task force" to clear itself of the conspiracy theories.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
Taiwan’s exports soared to an all-time high of US$61.8 billion last month, surging 49.7 percent from a year earlier, as the global frenzy for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and new consumer electronics powered shipments of high-tech goods, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. It was the first time exports had exceeded the US$60 billion mark, fueled by the global boom in AI development that has significantly boosted Taiwanese companies across the international supply chain, Department of Statistics Director-General Beatrice Tsai (蔡美娜) told a media briefing. “There is a consensus among major AI players that the upcycle is still in its early stage,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
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