Former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Chen Che-nan (陳哲男) was formally expelled from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday because of his alleged involvement in the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) scandal, in a resolution passed by the DPP's central evaluation committee.
The chief of the DPP's central evaluation committee Gao Jyh-peng (
Blackened image
Gao pointed out that although the KRTC scandal is still under investigation, Chen Che-nan's repeated evasions, his gambling trip to Korea and travel without requesting leave have all seriously damaged the DPP's reputation.
Gao compared Chen's conduct to the misleading statements of People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜).
"It is was virtually the same as when Soong [told] the public that he did not have houses in Hawaii, when it turned out that he owned five houses in LA," Gao said.
On Oct.13, Chen Che-nan said that he had never been to Incheon in South Korea. But then a picture was made public during a talk show on the television station TVBS showing him and former KRTC vice chairman Chen Min-hsien (陳敏賢) in a casino in South Korea's Cheju Island in 2002.
Five-year break
Although Chen Che-nan himself said that he would withdraw from the DPP on Friday night, Gao said that the procedure of Chen Che-nan's withdrawal from the DPP was not so simple, because the DPP must also receive related documents such as a member's party card.
According to DPP regulations, people who quit the party cannot rejoin for two years. Those like Chen Che-nan who are expelled by the party's central evaluation committee are barred from the party for five years.
"The DPP considers that Chen [Che-nan]'s withdrawal from the party would not completely enforce DPP party discipline and satisfy the public," Gao said. "Therefore, the central evaluation committee passed the resolution made by the provisional central standing committee held Saturday night, and expelled him from the DPP."
Enforcing discipline
Gao pointed out that the DPP is determined to protect the party's image and implement party discipline. Chen Che-nan's expulsion was considered necessary as he has already critically hurt the DPP's reputation.
"I would also like to apologize to our supporters and promise on the DPP's behalf that we will take action and request other members to follow the highest standards in order to defend the DPP's name," he said.
The DPP will also conduct a revision of party discipline and push high moral standards for members to protect the party's image, Gao added.
Responding to the DPP's decision on Chen Che-nan, Vice President Annette Lu (
Lu made the remarks in Tainan County, where she joined election campaign activities to promote her DPP party comrade, incumbent Tainan County Commissioner Su Huan-chih (
Meanwhile, opposition legislators yesterday urged the Presidential Office to take back medals awarded to Chen Che-nan.
At a press conference held yesterday by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus, legislators said Chen Che-nan did not deserve to keep his awards. President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) conferred two orders upon Chen Che-nan.
One was a second-class medal of the Order of the Brilliant Star (景星勳章) in 2002 and the other, which is a higher honor, was the Order of Propitious Clouds (卿雲勳章) last year.
"We believe that president Chen has abused such honorable medals to please his comrades in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)," KMT caucus whip Pan Wei-kang (
The government is aiming to recruit 1,096 foreign English teachers and teaching assistants this year, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. The foreign teachers would work closely with elementary and junior-high instructors to create and teach courses, ministry official Tsai Yi-ching (蔡宜靜) said. Together, they would create an immersive language environment, helping to motivate students while enhancing the skills of local teachers, she said. The ministry has since 2021 been recruiting foreign teachers through the Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program, which offers placement, salary, housing and other benefits to eligible foreign teachers. Two centers serving northern and southern Taiwan assist in recruiting and training
WIDE NET: Health officials said they are considering all possibilities, such as bongkrekic acid, while the city mayor said they have not ruled out the possibility of a malicious act of poisoning Two people who dined at a restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13 last week have died, while four are in intensive care, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday. All of the outlets of Malaysian vegetarian restaurant franchise Polam Kopitiam have been ordered to close pending an investigation after 11 people became ill due to suspected food poisoning, city officials told a news conference in Taipei. The first fatality, a 39-year-old man who ate at the restaurant on Friday last week, died of kidney failure two days later at the city’s Mackay Memorial Hospital. A 66-year-old man who dined
‘CARRIER KILLERS’: The Tuo Chiang-class corvettes’ stealth capability means they have a radar cross-section as small as the size of a fishing boat, an analyst said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday presided over a ceremony at Yilan County’s Suao Harbor (蘇澳港), where the navy took delivery of two indigenous Tuo Chiang-class corvettes. The corvettes, An Chiang (安江) and Wan Chiang (萬江), along with the introduction of the coast guard’s third and fourth 4,000-tonne cutters earlier this month, are a testament to Taiwan’s shipbuilding capability and signify the nation’s resolve to defend democracy and freedom, Tsai said. The vessels are also the last two of six Tuo Chiang-class corvettes ordered from Lungteh Shipbuilding Co (龍德造船) by the navy, Tsai said. The first Tuo Chiang-class vessel delivered was Ta Chiang (塔江)
EYE ON STRAIT: The US spending bill ‘doubles security cooperation funding for Taiwan,’ while also seeking to counter the influence of China US President Joe Biden on Saturday signed into law a US$1.2 trillion spending package that includes US$300 million in foreign military financing to Taiwan, as well as funding for Taipei-Washington cooperative projects. The US Congress early on Saturday overwhelmingly passed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 to avoid a partial shutdown and fund the government through September for a fiscal year that began six months ago. Under the package, the Defense Appropriations Act would provide a US$27 billion increase from the previous fiscal year to fund “critical national defense efforts, including countering the PRC [People’s Republic of China],” according to a summary