Tensions mounted and police stepped up security near the legislature yesterday, on the eve of the nation's first-ever vote on whether to recall the president.
Signs ordering drivers to move vehicles parked near the legislature were posted yesterday and police placed barbed wire in the area in preparation for potential clashes today between emotional opposition and government supporters.
The opposition-sponsored vote on recalling President Chen Shui-bian (
Legislators have one-and-a-half-hours this morning to cast their votes, and a result is expected before noon.
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
"No matter what the result is, everyone should accept it," Wang said.
In accordance with related regulations, today's vote will not be secret, as each legislator can cast a ballot with his or her name on it.
Opposition campaign
The recall motion was initiated by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) in response to a recent spate of corruption scandals involving the president's relatives and close aides.
If the recall effort passed the legislature, the support of more than half of eligible voters in a nationwide referendum would be needed to remove Chen from office.
In an attempt to foster a sense of unity within the pan-blue camp, KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
Soong will also be holding a press conference this morning to tell the international community why his party has been pushing for the president's ouster.
Both KMT and PFP caucuses said that all of their members would be required to cast a "yes" vote on the recall motion, and that those who violate the order would be punished in accordance with their party's disciplinary procedures.
Disappointment
A group of Aborigines led by independent Legislator May Chin (
The blind Aboriginal poet Monaneng (莫那能) said that he was very disappointed with the president, noting that Chen had promised Aborigines many things but had accomplished none of them in the past six years.
"Although I can't see, I know clearly what is black and white in my heart. I supported the president for more than 20 years, but now I don't want to support a corrupt government," he said.
DPP caucus whip Chen Chin-jun (
To express its support for the president, the DPP has called on supporters to protest against the recall vote outside the legislature. The DPP will make an effort to avoid possible conflicts or disorder, said Lin Yu-chang (
The DPP plans to mobilize about 5,000 people to join in the protest and estimates that the rally will have a total turnout of 10,000, Lin said.
Appeal for calm
DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun yesterday urged the KMT and the PFP to accept the results of today's recall vote rationally and also expressed hope that DPP supporters would remain calm as well.
The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), which opposed the recall, said that TSU legislators will receive their ballots and then cast invalid votes.
"TSU legislators will not waive their legislative rights and therefore we choose to cast invalid votes," TSU Chairman Shu Ching-chiang (蘇進強) said yesterday. "Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) also agreed that casting invalid votes is a manner of expressing a standpoint."
Shu made the remarks yesterday afternoon after he met with Lee at Lee's residence.
Shu said that Lee did not think the reasons given by the opposition for recalling the president were legitimate, but Lee also pointed out that both the pan-blue and pan-green camps were irrational.
"Lee thinks that the pan-blue camp has the right to propose a recall motion, but the timing is not right. Legal problems should be solved through a judicial process, according to him," Shu said.
Shu said that the party would decide this morning whether to cast blank votes or write "waiver" on the ballots to invalidate them.
Former premier Frank Hsieh (
also see story:
Chen gives pep talk to DPP legislators
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source