New Party legislator Hsieh Chi-ta's (
But critics said although the strategy may relieve some of the intense pressure on Soong (
As soon as Hsieh publicly announced on Friday she would set up a special task force to investigate the allegations of financial misdeeds -- saying Soong should talk less about money and more about policy -- Soong almost immediately restored scheduled rallies and other events meant to boost his signature drive, which began Saturday in Hualien (花蓮) County.
Before Friday, Soong had only appeared in public to defend himself or to attack his detractors.
At his first rally on Dec. 20, after KMT legislator Yang Chi-hsiung's (
"In the controversy surrounding the Chung Hsing Bills Finance accounts, both myself and the KMT are the interested parties, but now, the KMT government seems to be playing the role of judge and jury at the same time," Soong said.
"The KMT is already combined with the current government administration, and has paved the way for the whole `truth' using bogus information.
"The KMT has degraded the finance ministry into nothing more than a tool for high ranking officials," Soong added.
In the cross-fire between both the KMT and the government, Soong said he has no option but to delegate what he said was a "third party" to conduct an "impartial" survey regarding the alleged money scandal.
The main reason for recommending Hsieh, Soong said, was for her clean-cut image and legal expertise, since Hsieh has served as a judge for over 10 years.
But opposition critics and academics took issue with Soong's choice, challenging both the motives and actions Hsieh's delegation have taken.
DPP National Assembly deputy Chiang Chao-I (
"Hsieh should not blow her delegation out of proportion. There is no legitimate basis for which Hsieh can claim she is acting on behalf of the public to seek the truth," Chang said.
DPP legislative caucus leader Chen Chi-mai (
"Soong said he has fully authorized Hsieh to probe financial transactions during the past eight years. But he appears to have conveniently ignored the fact that Hsieh is inclined to favor his campaign,'' Chen said.
Chen said based on that logic, the invitation should be open to others.
"Can the DPP then team up with academics to ask Soong if they can also assist in the inquiry?" Chen asked.
Andrew Yen (
"Is there any room for justice to survive here?" he asked, suggesting Hsieh has already abused her office's authority.
"First of all, as a legislator, according to current law, she has no investigative authority, and has no right to demand that the finance ministry provide any materials," Yen said.
"Even if she had the authority, as a personal representative for Soong she could never force the finance ministry to hand over transaction data. On the contrary, finance officials are fully justified in sticking to their principles of privacy,'' Yen added.
Yen also pointed out that since Hsieh has specialized in the legal profession, she of all people should restrain herself from going beyond what the law allows.
Yen said it is obvious from listening to Soong that his strategy is to try to turn the spotlight away from the disputed financial dealings and away from the question of whether he broke the the law.
However, even if Soong can divert the focus for the time being, he will still be forced to face what appears to be a solid legal accusation from either the KMT or the Investigation Bureau.
Both groups have now become involved in the investigation process in one step, while the KMT has said it is considering the possibility of suing Soong for illegally taking party property (
Still, according to the latest opinion poll conducted by Soong's own camp, which continues to insist the entire scandal was masterminded by both the KMT and finance officials, has indicated their responses have had some positive effect, and that Soong could maintain his core base of support of roughly around 30 percent.
"After Soong's second press conference on Dec. 17 night, his popularity rate returned to the lead position again [among the three leading candidates]. We have every reason to believe things will get better and better," said one campaign official, who preferred anonymity.
FALSE DOCUMENTS? Actor William Liao said he was ‘voluntarily cooperating’ with police after a suspect was accused of helping to produce false medical certificates Police yesterday questioned at least six entertainers amid allegations of evasion of compulsory military service, with Lee Chuan (李銓), a member of boy band Choc7 (超克7), and actor Daniel Chen (陳大天) among those summoned. The New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office in January launched an investigation into a group that was allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified medical documents. Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) has been accused of being one of the group’s clients. As the investigation expanded, investigators at New Taipei City’s Yonghe Precinct said that other entertainers commissioned the group to obtain false documents. The main suspect, a man surnamed
The government is considering polices to increase rental subsidies for people living in social housing who get married and have children, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. During an interview with the Plain Law Movement (法律白話文) podcast, Cho said that housing prices cannot be brought down overnight without affecting banks and mortgages. Therefore, the government is focusing on providing more aid for young people by taking 3 to 5 percent of urban renewal projects and zone expropriations and using that land for social housing, he said. Single people living in social housing who get married and become parents could obtain 50 percent more
DEMOGRAPHICS: Robotics is the most promising answer to looming labor woes, the long-term care system and national contingency response, an official said Taiwan is to launch a five-year plan to boost the robotics industry in a bid to address labor shortages stemming from a declining and aging population, the Executive Yuan said yesterday. The government approved the initiative, dubbed the Smart Robotics Industry Promotion Plan, via executive order, senior officials told a post-Cabinet meeting news conference in Taipei. Taiwan’s population decline would strain the economy and the nation’s ability to care for vulnerable and elderly people, said Peter Hong (洪樂文), who heads the National Science and Technology Council’s (NSTC) Department of Engineering and Technologies. Projections show that the proportion of Taiwanese 65 or older would
Democracies must remain united in the face of a shifting geopolitical landscape, former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Tuesday, while emphasizing the importance of Taiwan’s security to the world. “Taiwan’s security is essential to regional stability and to defending democratic values amid mounting authoritarianism,” Tsai said at the annual forum in the Danish capital. Noting a “new geopolitical landscape” in which global trade and security face “uncertainty and unpredictability,” Tsai said that democracies must remain united and be more committed to building up resilience together in the face of challenges. Resilience “allows us to absorb shocks, adapt under
RSS