Amid a shouting match between pan-blue and pan-green supporters outside the Kaohsiung District Court yesterday, the court held the first proceeding of a case filed against Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), in which she stands accused of neglecting her duties during a typhoon day that left almost half of the city flooded.
Supporters of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) politician cheered outside the court as the mayor arrived at about 8am, while protesters chanted “Chen Chu, step down.”
KMT Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅), one of those who brought the case against the mayor, was escorted into the court by KMT Greater Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Huang Chao-shun’s (黃昭順) campaign staffers.
Photo: Chang Chung-yi, Taipei Times
While police officers had been dispatched by the city government to separate supporters of the DPP and the KMT, members of both camps still engaged in verbal exchanges.
When Chen left the court, chaos erupted and one of Huang’s staffers was sent to the hospital after suffering an injury in the confusion.
Chiu and Huang have accused Chen of neglecting her mayoral duties when almost half of the city’s districts were flooded because of torrential rain brought by Typhoon Fanapi on Sept. 19.
Chen admitted after the typhoon that she returned to her residence for a short nap after inspecting flooded areas earlier that day.
However, Chiu alleged Chen was enjoying a hot spring in Kaohsiung County’s Tienliao Township (田寮).
Chen accused the judiciary of trying to affect her performance in the upcoming Greater Kaohsiung mayoral election by arraigning her hearing shortly after Chiu and Huang filed the suit.
“I hope prosecutors complete the investigation into the allegations efficiently,” she said when approached by reporters for comment, adding that Chiu and Huang should present evidence to prove their allegation.
Chen also complained about prosecutors’ decision not to arraign Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興), who was also sued by Kaohsiung County councilors on similar accusations.
Yang is running against Chen and Huang as an independent candidate.
Lending support for Chen, the DPP legislative caucus held a press conference in Taipei yesterday, accusing the KMT of relying on judicial interference for assistance in the campaign in the run-up to the Nov. 27 special municipality elections.
DPP caucus whip Pan Men-an (潘孟安) said that yesterday was the first day Chen took leave from her mayoral duties to campaign for her re-election and she had to spend it in court.
The fact that the Kaohsiung District Court had handled the case with such speed was evidence that the KMT was manipulating the judiciary, he said.
“This is an ugly day in the country’s constitutional history,” Pan said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he