The Presidential Office confirmed yesterday that President Chen Shui-bian (
Both Lien and Soong, however, would not comment yesterday on whether they would accept Chen's offer, on the grounds that they have not yet received formal invitations.
Kuo Yao-chi (郭瑤琪), director of the Presidential Office's department of public affairs, said Chen believes the participation of the opposition leaders would help in the implementation of any conclusion reached by the board, and the creation of a peaceful atmosphere between the parties.
Though there has not been any response from either Lien or Soong so far, the Presidential Office will keep trying, Kuo said.
The Presidential Office has asked Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
The process of inviting the two men has been hampered by the proposal of some DPP lawmakers to have authorities investigate the KMT's assets for irregularities.
Their proposal won the support of Chen during a meeting with the lawmakers on Tuesday. This triggered a strong protest from Lien, who accused Chen on Wednesday of engaging in a "vicious struggle" against his party.
Wang, who had originally intended to talk to Lien about the invitation on Wednesday, never had an opportunity to do so because of the soured atmosphere.
Soong said yesterday that the cross-party advisory board is a professional organization and the board's preparatory committee should decide who will be vice chairmen.
Political analysts have not been optimistic about the board's chances for success, given the strained atmosphere that exists between the parties.
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
RESTAURANT POISONING? Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang at a press conference last night said this was the first time bongkrekic acid was detected in Taiwan An autopsy discovered bongkrekic acid in a specimen collected from a person who died from food poisoning after dining at the Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said at a news conference last night. It was the first time bongkrekic acid was detected in Taiwan, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said. The testing conducted by forensic specialists at National Taiwan University was facilitated after a hospital voluntarily offered standard samples it had in stock that are required to test for bongkrekic acid, he said. Wang told the news conference that testing would continue despite
WIDE NET: Health officials said they are considering all possibilities, such as bongkrekic acid, while the city mayor said they have not ruled out the possibility of a malicious act of poisoning Two people who dined at a restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Department Store Xinyi A13 last week have died, while four are in intensive care, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday. All of the outlets of Malaysian vegetarian restaurant franchise Polam Kopitiam have been ordered to close pending an investigation after 11 people became ill due to suspected food poisoning, city officials told a news conference in Taipei. The first fatality, a 39-year-old man who ate at the restaurant on Friday last week, died of kidney failure two days later at the city’s Mackay Memorial Hospital. A 66-year-old man who dined
‘CARRIER KILLERS’: The Tuo Chiang-class corvettes’ stealth capability means they have a radar cross-section as small as the size of a fishing boat, an analyst said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday presided over a ceremony at Yilan County’s Suao Harbor (蘇澳港), where the navy took delivery of two indigenous Tuo Chiang-class corvettes. The corvettes, An Chiang (安江) and Wan Chiang (萬江), along with the introduction of the coast guard’s third and fourth 4,000-tonne cutters earlier this month, are a testament to Taiwan’s shipbuilding capability and signify the nation’s resolve to defend democracy and freedom, Tsai said. The vessels are also the last two of six Tuo Chiang-class corvettes ordered from Lungteh Shipbuilding Co (龍德造船) by the navy, Tsai said. The first Tuo Chiang-class vessel delivered was Ta Chiang (塔江)