Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) secretary-general Wu Nai-jen (吳乃仁) yesterday said that he would quit the party — as well as a clique of former New Tide faction members, of which he is an influential member — to protest the nomination of Executive Yuan Secretary-General Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) for party chairperson.
Wu made the remarks in an instant messaging group used by the clique.
He singled out Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), a member of the group, as the source of his frustration, saying that Cheng’s endorsement of Cho after Cho last month lashed out at DPP Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康), another member of the clique, showed that Cheng did not value his 30 years of friendship with Tuan.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The move would negatively affect Tuan’s role as one of the group’s leading figures, Wu added.
Tuan last month sparked a dispute with Cho after he slammed his palm on the podium during a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Yuan when grilling Premier William Lai (賴清德) over DPP policies that had drawn public criticism, which he said led to the party’s losses in the Nov. 24 nine-in-one elections.
Cho called Tuan’s harsh criticism of the party “completely unacceptable” and asked whether the DPP had been wrong to push pension reforms for retired civil servants, military personnel and public-school teachers.
Legislation to eliminate a much-criticized 18 percent preferential interest rate for the retirees in six years was led by Tuan, Cho said.
The party “took a wrong step” while reflecting after its election losses, as did President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) when she met with Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Thursday, Wu said.
He added that while those errors cause him pain, his endorsement of Cho was the last straw.
“The New Tide faction is a failed project. It cannot speak its mind, even when the party is going through a crisis, which proves that it no longer has a reason to exist,” Wu said.
The DPP in 2006 dissolved its factions, but many continue to exist unofficially.
Asked for comment while accompanying Cho to register for the DPP chairperson election, Cheng said: “I have not learned of that situation.”
Cho said that Wu is an “amiable and experienced” DPP member who he hopes would remain in the party.
Additional reporting by Sean Lin and CNA
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘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
UNPRECEDENTED: In addition to the approved recall motions, cases such as Ma Wen-chun’s in Nantou are still under review, while others lack enough signatures The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced yesterday that a recall vote would take place on July 26, after it approved the first batch of recall motions targeting 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安). Taiwan is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of mass recall campaigns, following a civil society push that echoed a call made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) in January to initiate signature drives aimed at unseating KMT legislators. Under the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), Taiwanese can initiate a recall of district-elected lawmakers by collecting
RSS