The presence of DPP heavyweight Luo Wen-chia (
"There is never an easy election battle, but Luo's joining the race will certainly make the competition keener," Lin Chung-mo (
Luo -- a leading DPP campaign strategist, longtime aide to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and vice chairman of the Council for Cultural Affairs -- officially announced on Sunday that he would resign from his Cabinet post to run in the December elections. Luo plans to stand for a seat representing the northern part of Taipei.
As a heavyweight political figure with longstanding close relations with Chen, Luo's decision poses a threat to his party comrades who plan to court the same constituency.
Lin said the first obstacle for legislative hopefuls was the primary contest, which is comprised of two parts: opinion polls and the votes of party members. Opinion polls account for 70 percent of a candidate's score, while member votes account for 30 percent.
"Luo will enjoy an overwhelming advantage in the opinion polls due to his high public popularity," Lin said.
Incumbent DPP lawmaker Cho Jung-tai (
"Being a renowned public figure, Luo is very likely to get so many votes as to edge out other party members who are not as notable," Cho said.
Luo said during a radio interview yesterday that the reason he chose to run in Taipei was because he was able to communicate with younger voters, and because "some political issues draw more attention when discussed in the city."
Luo said that the DPP could not expand its turf if it stuck to its loyal base of supporters, adding there was plenty of room to attract new votes to the party.
While he welcomed Luo's decision to join the race, Liu I-te (劉一德), director of the DPP's department of organizational development, said he was worried. He said it was possible the heavyweight would draw too many votes from other DPP candidates in the December elections -- thus giving a seat to the opposition that could otherwise be held by a DPP member.
DEFENSE: The first set of three NASAMS that were previously purchased is expected to be delivered by the end of this year and deployed near the capital, sources said Taiwan plans to procure 28 more sets of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), as well as nine additional sets of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), military sources said yesterday. Taiwan had previously purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US and received the first 11 last year. Once the planned purchases are completed and delivered, Taiwan would have 57 sets of HIMARS. The army has also increased the number of MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) purchased from 64 to 84, the sources added. Each HIMARS launch pod can carry six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, capable of
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
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