Despite an order by People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong forbidding party members from attending yesterday's "319 Democracy, Peace and Truth" rally, a sizable number of PFP legislators marched with supporters anyway.
While Soong was nowhere to be seen, at least 10 PFP legislators, including Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋), Lee Yung-ping (李永萍), Sun Ta-chien (孫大千), Lee Ching-hua (李慶華), and Chiu Yi (邱毅) marched yesterday.
Chinese-language media reported that Soong had given orders on Friday that party members and legislators were to avoid yesterday's march. However, the party's legislative caucus countered the media reports during a press conference yesterday morning.
Confirming Soong would be absent, PFP caucus whip Chen Chih-pin (
When asked about Soong's whereabouts yesterday, the PFP said that he was spending the day at home.
While Soong was being low key about yesterday's demonstration, PFP policy department head Chang Hsien-yao (
Alluding to Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Chang said Soong believed that if "someone" had been firmer in supporting the protests, the result might have been different.
While Soong had no hard feelings against Ma, Chang said, he did feel that "it is a little late" for Ma to try to make up for the past.
Soong was originally one of the most vocal critics of the election result. However, Soong's Feb. 24 meeting with President Chen Shui-bian led commentators to speculate on changing relations between the PFP and the administration.
Soong felt that the pan-blue camp's efforts to uncover the details of the assassination attempt were better spent in the legal arena rather than organizing grassroots demonstrations, Chou said.
While KMT heavyweights such as Chairman Lien Chan urged unity within the pan-blue camp yesterday, at least one pan-blue leader was unhappy about Soong's absence.
Urging the pan-blue camp to continue its pursuit of "democracy, peace and truth," New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (郁慕明) told supporters to "forget about the people who have left and care about those who are united."
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
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
WARNING: People in coastal areas need to beware of heavy swells and strong winds, and those in mountainous areas should brace for heavy rain, the CWA said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued sea and land warnings for Typhoon Ragasa, forecasting that it would continue to intensify and affect the nation the most today and tomorrow. People in Hualien and Taitung counties, and mountainous areas in Yilan and Pingtung counties, should brace for damage caused by extremely heavy rain brought by the typhoon’s outer rim, as it was upgraded to a super typhoon yesterday morning, the CWA said. As of 5:30pm yesterday, the storm’s center was about 630km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving northwest at 21kph, and its maximum wind speed had reached
RSS