Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) on Monday announced that she would represent the Formosa Alliance in next year’s presidential elections.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was left scrambling to prevent a potential split in its voter base, calling on Lu, as well as the spiritual leader of the Taiwan Action Party Alliance and former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), to help maintain pan-green solidarity.
Lu and her vice presidential running mate, Peng Pai-hsien (彭百顯), yesterday morning registered their candidacy with the Central Election Commission in Taipei and submitted the required NT$1 million (US$32,222) guarantee.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) said that pan-green supporters were saddened to see a split in the pan-green camp.
The DPP must be cautious about how it handles Lu throwing her hat in the ring, as she has a certain amount of backing and is familiar with the party’s inner workings, Huang said.
As Lu would have the support of deep-green groups, she would present a major threat to Tsai, Huang added.
Chen has considerable support in southern Taiwan, Huang said, urging the former president to side with the DPP in the presidential and legislative elections.
Tsai’s campaign manager, Juan Chao-hsiung (阮昭雄), said that her campaign team respected Lu’s decision and was mindful of Lu’s contribution to Taiwan’s democratization.
However, Taiwan faces Beijing’s oppression on every front and its supporters must be on the same page, Juan said, citing the party’s disciplinary regulations, which stipulate that any party member who announces their intention to run without the party’s support should have their membership revoked.
DPP headquarters director Chen Cheng-te (陳正德) said that once Lu’s Formosa Alliance candidacy is formally recognized, the DPP would follow its disciplinary regulations.
DPP Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said at an event in Yunlin County that he hoped to have the chance to meet with Lu and discuss the issue, adding that it was his duty to consider what is best for Taiwan.
Additional reporting by Huang Shu-li
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
HOTEL HIRING: An official said that hoteliers could begin hiring migrant workers next year, but must adhere to a rule requiring a NT$2,000 salary hike for Taiwanese The government is to allow the hospitality industry to recruit mid-level migrant workers for housekeeping and three other lines of work after the Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal by the Ministry of Labor. A shortage of workers at hotels and accommodation facilities was discussed at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee. A 2023 survey conducted by the Tourism Administration found that Taiwan’s lodging industry was short of about 6,600 housekeeping and cleaning workers, the agency said in a report to the committee. The shortage of workers in the industry is being studied, the report said. Hotel and Lodging Division Deputy Director Cheng
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
RSS