Continuing disputes within the DPP's various factions over a possible bid to push for a fresh election for legislative speaker are expected to come to a head today, with the party's legislative caucus expected to make a final decision on the issue. According to comments by faction leaders yesterday, the decision is likely to be to maintain the status quo.
Most of the DPP's key faction figures said yesterday that they were concerned about the stability of the political situation, as well as the possibility of winning such an election if it were to go ahead.
They also appeared to disagree over the subsequent need to attempt an ouster of current speaker Wang Chin-pyng(
The KMT and the People First Party (PFP) yesterday renewed their opposition to the possible election, saying that it was both "impossible" and "unnecessary."
The KMT's Central Policy Committee head, Hung Yu-chin (
Hung said the KMT would fully support Wang and predicted there would be chaos should the DPP go ahead. In addition legislators from the KMT -- which currently holds a majority in the legislature -- said they had decided to boycott President-elect Chen Shui-bian's (
DPP lawmaker Chou Po-lun (周伯倫), meanwhile, told reporters yesterday that he was confident of success in the event of an election, because he would be able to rally a majority vote in the legislature.
There are 224 seats in the Legislative Yuan and the DPP -- with only 70 legislative members -- must cooperate with other parties to gain enough votes to obtain the chairmanship.
Chou said that Shih Ming-teh (施明德), who is considered the DPP's primary candidate for the position, would quit his job as lawmaker if he failed in his bid for the post.
In spite of Shih's vows that he will succeed, officials at DPP headquarters and in Chen's government have seemed reluctant to get involved. They had previously said they expected the party's legislative caucus would make a decision on the issue.
To reach a consensus, the DPP's factions held meetings yesterday in which it is believed most members sided against Shih and the prospects of an election.
Justice Alliance faction leader Shen Fu-hsiung (沈富雄) told the Taipei Times that the DPP should not insist on replacing the current legislative speaker if it wants to avoid conflicts between the KMT and the DPP, or between the Cabinet and the legislature.
"Four factions -- including the Justice Alliance, Welfare State, New Energy and the Independence Union -- have a common consensus on this issue," Shen said.
The New Tide faction, which had reportedly supported Shih over the issue, has also come out against replacing Wang.
New Tide leader Hung Chi-chang (
"If the DPP tries to go ahead with this before the president's inauguration, the political situation will be tense." Hung said.
The government is aiming to recruit 1,096 foreign English teachers and teaching assistants this year, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. The foreign teachers would work closely with elementary and junior-high instructors to create and teach courses, ministry official Tsai Yi-ching (蔡宜靜) said. Together, they would create an immersive language environment, helping to motivate students while enhancing the skills of local teachers, she said. The ministry has since 2021 been recruiting foreign teachers through the Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program, which offers placement, salary, housing and other benefits to eligible foreign teachers. Two centers serving northern and southern Taiwan assist in recruiting and training
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