Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice presidential candidate Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) voiced his support yesterday for President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to assume the party chairmanship after Chairman Yu Shyi-kun's resignation.
The call came after Yu offered to resign following his indictment -- along with Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and National Security Council Secretary-General Mark Chen (陳唐山) -- on charges of corruption and forgery on Friday over his special allowance fund.
Yu was charged with claiming reimbursements worth NT$2.3 million (US$70,000) with 516 fraudulent receipts collected by his wife, Yang Pao-yu (
"It is true that the party would be stronger and better integrated in terms of campaign strategy if the president were the chairman," Su told reporters yesterday morning as he returned from St. Lucia, where he served as Chen's envoy.
DOUBLE
The DPP caucus on Saturday urged Chen to consider doubling as DPP chairman.
Yu, who was campaigning for the party in Toronto at the time, faxed his intended resignation late on Friday night, but added on Saturday that he would not leave his post until after the party's 21st anniversary and national congress, scheduled for Sunday.
Yu had said on Monday he would like to fulfill his responsibilities and oversee the holding of the two major events.
CRITICISM
This, however, drew criticism and speculation from DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh's (
Hsieh's camp has questioned the timing of the passing of the draft, fearing it could scare off voters.
Yu had begun seeking endorsement for a proposed amendment to a draft of the resolution passed by the DPP Central Executive Committee on Aug. 30, which only stated the party should correct the nation's name and write a new constitution as soon as possible.
Su yesterday cautioned Yu, saying that he should not be obstinate on the matter.
"Seeking normalization of the country and of the governmental system is the right approach, but this approach should be discussed through a democratic, collegiate system within the party rather than decided by an individual," he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Presidential Office Secretary-General Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) declined to comment on a meeting between Chen Shui-bian and Yu at the Presidential office yesterday, saying it was a private matter between the two.
Yu, who entered the Presidential Office at approximately 10am, told reporters after the meeting that he and Chen had talked about the party's "normal country resolution" but had not discussed his resignation.
In addition to the resolution, Yu said they had talked about campaigning affairs concerning next year's legislative and presidential elections.
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
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RESTAURANT POISONING? Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang at a press conference last night said this was the first time bongkrekic acid was detected in Taiwan An autopsy discovered bongkrekic acid in a specimen collected from a person who died from food poisoning after dining at the Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said at a news conference last night. It was the first time bongkrekic acid was detected in Taiwan, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said. The testing conducted by forensic specialists at National Taiwan University was facilitated after a hospital voluntarily offered standard samples it had in stock that are required to test for bongkrekic acid, he said. Wang told the news conference that testing would continue despite