Former premier Frank Hsieh (
Hsieh is the first of the four big DPP figures viewed as possible presidential contenders to declare his candidacy. The others are Vice President Annette Lu (
His announcement came three days after former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
"I will take advantage of the Lunar New Year holidays to ponder the issues of public welfare and tax reform. I will then register for the DPP's presidential primary," Hsieh said while meeting with grassroots supporters in Kaohsiung.
Registration for the primary will be open from March 5 to March 9, according to the schedule finalized by the party's Central Standing Committee on Wednesday.
Party members will vote on both presidential and legislative hopefuls on May 6, after which public opinion polls will be held.
The party member vote counts for 30 percent of a would-be candidate's "score," while the public poll counts for 70 percent. The presidential hopeful who receives the highest approval rating will be named as the party's presidential standard-bearer on May 30.
The party has denied changing its timetable in reaction to Ma's announcement.
In response to supporters cheering "Go for the presidency!" and "President Hsieh!" the former Kaohsiung mayor said he had listened to his supporters' calls for him to run and he would work hard to win.
He refused, however, to say whom he would like to see as a vice presidential running mate.
Asked to comment on a meeting between Ma and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) to discuss the KMT's presidential nomination, Hsieh said he hoped the meeting was a success.
He also called on Ma not to make public appeals about his indictment on corruption charges.
"It's a judicial issue. The public did not see the evidence and has no right to conduct an investigation ... Political leaders should speak and act cautiously," Hsieh said, referring to Ma's condemnation of the prosecutors' who indicted him.
also see story:
Editorial: The end of the road for Lee Teng-hui
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
SENATE RECOMMENDATION: The National Defense Authorization Act encourages the US secretary of defense to invite Taiwan’s navy to participate in the exercises in Hawaii The US Senate on Thursday last week passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which strongly encourages the US secretary of defense to invite Taiwan’s naval forces to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, as well as allocating military aid of US$1 billion for Taiwan. The bill, which authorizes appropriations for the military activities of the US Department of Defense, military construction and other purposes, passed with 77 votes in support and 20 against. While the NDAA authorizes about US$925 billion of defense spending, the Central News Agency yesterday reported that an aide of US
NATIONAL DAY: The ‘Taiwan Dome’ would form the centerpiece of new efforts to bolster air defense and be modeled after Israel’s ‘Iron Dome,’ sources said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday pledged to strengthen the nation’s air defense capabilities and build a “T-Dome” system to create a safety net against growing military threats from China. “We will accelerate our building of the T-Dome, establish a rigorous air defense system in Taiwan with multi-layered defense, high-level detection and effective interception, and weave a safety net for Taiwan to protect the lives and property of citizens,” he said in his National Day address. In his keynote address marking the Republic of China’s (ROC) 114th anniversary, Lai said the lessons of World War II have taught nations worldwide “to ensure that