The DPP's Hsinchu City chapter appealed to the party's headquarters yesterday to prevent Hsinchu Mayor Tsai Jen-chien (
"A verdict has not even been made by the court in Tsai's case. Besides, it is not within the local chapter's authority to get involved in the mayoral election," Hsu Yang-ming (許陽明), party deputy secretary-general, said at a press conference yesterday.
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Hsu added that the party's Central Standing Committee would send a letter admonishing the Hsinchu chapter for stepping out of bounds.
Tsai was charged on Saturday for forcing United Microelectronics Corp (
Prosecutors are seeking a two-and-a-half year sentence for Tsai.
"The indictment against Tsai has damaged the party's reputation," argued Yang Lung-yuan (楊隆源), director of the DPP's Hsinchu chapter, who endorsed yesterday's appeal along with six other members.
"We urge the central party headquarters to review Tsai's qualifications for participating in the party's primary," said Yang.
But Yang added that it was up to the party's central review committee to decide whether Tsai should have his party membership suspended, be expelled or be given an oral warning.
Yang also said that the central headquarters had the option to sit back and do nothing until the outcome of Tsai's case was determined.
Tsai, in response to the appeal, expressed his regret over the matter but refused to comment further.
Hsinchu Deputy Mayor Lin Cheng-chieh (
Other DPP officials said the move was meant to "embarrass Tsai."
Meanwhile, the DPP's Justice Alliance faction (
Chen, accompanied by faction leaders Yu Cheng-hsien (
Yu and Kao believe that Chen's fame will help him win office and help the party win votes from Aboriginal groups.
"Even if Chen is called up to run as the party's candidate, it will still be a tough battle," Hsieh told Chen yesterday morning. The DPP has long had a low support rate among Aboriginal groups.
"I will do my best," Chen responded.
"Chen's nomination would become possible if no one is interested in registering [during the primary] since our party will have only one nominee," Liu I-te (劉一德) said. Liu added there was a great possibility that this would happen but it was still too early to tell.
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer began talks with high-ranking Chinese officials in Switzerland yesterday aiming to de-escalate a dispute that threatens to cut off trade between the world’s two biggest economies and damage the global economy. The US delegation has begun meetings in Geneva with a Chinese delegation led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰), Xinhua News Agency said. Diplomats from both sides also confirmed that the talks have begun, but spoke anonymously and the exact location of the talks was not made public. Prospects for a major breakthrough appear dim, but there is
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