Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday proposed holding a national affairs conference and establishing an interparty special legislative committee to resolve the nation’s fiscal problems.
Skyrocketing government debt and a worsening pension crisis have placed national economic security at risk, Tsai said in a press release, adding: “It’s time for us to go back to rational policy discussion without being divided by party ideology, so we can face the problems together.”
Tsai proposed establishing a special legislative committee on pensions and financial reform and hoped that the collaboration would compel the administration to conduct a thorough review of the current system and present a comprehensive reform plan.
After that, a national affairs conference attended by politicians and representatives from all sectors of society would affirm the plan, as well as the direction and timetable of reform.
Such a problem-solving process would set an example and contribute to the maturity of Taiwan’s democracy, she said, adding that she would like to be part of the team.
DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) responded positively to the proposal, saying the initiative was in line with the party’s position.
The DPP has had extensive discussions on the pension system in the past three weeks and has designated Lin Wan-i (林萬億), director of the DPP’s think tank, to present a complete set of policies.
Former Tainan County commissioner Su Huan-chih (蘇煥智) said the proposal would allow President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration to evade its responsibility, adding that the DPP should ask Ma to present his policy within three months.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus gave the proposal the cold shoulder, with caucus whip Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池) saying that the conference would be unnecessary.
Chao Shou-po (趙守博), a member of the KMT Central Standing Committee, presented a similar proposal in a committee meeting on Wednesday, but did not receive a positive response.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique