KMT Chairman Lien Chan (
"The KMT is a political party and should look at things from the perspective of the party's development. And we should do things according to our system, namely our charter and discipline. Nobody can stay out of reach of this system," KMT spokesman Wang Chih-kang (
Lien made the remarks during a meeting of the KMT's Central Standing Committee in response to a proposal seeking disciplinary action against Lee.
Lien said that safeguarding the interests of the party is the most important consideration for the KMT.
Lien ordered the party's Evaluation and Discipline Committee to conduct an in-depth study on the matter.
Chen Kang-chin (
"The speech and conduct of former chairman Lee have indeed harmed the KMT. This is an undeniable fact," Chen said.
Chen, however, would not reveal what the "plans" would include.
Chen said a major consideration of his committee will be to try to find a way to maintain party discipline while lessening the negative impact caused by any action the party would take.
According to KMT rules, possible punishments for a disciplinary violation can range from reprimand, suspension of membership or revocation of membership to expulsion, depending on the severity of the violation.
Throwing his explicit support behind the Taiwan Solidarity Union, Lee said on Monday that the TSU's ideals were consistent with his own and that he would do everything he could to help the TSU achieve victory in the year-end legislative elections.
Lee also denied reports that said he would campaign for some KMT legislative candidates.
Lee's remarks immediately triggered a strong reaction from a number of KMT politicians.
While lawmaker Hung Hsing-rong (
Hung Hsiu-chu took her proposal to the Central Standing Committee yesterday, saying the party should hand down "proper punishment" to Lee for "openly defaming" and "attempting to split" the KMT.
Hung said she prefers an expulsion for Lee, but she would not be insistent should the party intends to avoid the move because of "political considerations."
"Winning the year-end elections is our first priority. We don't want to trigger a backlash by mishandling the matter," Hung said.
While most of Standing Committee members were mum on the matter yesterday, many favor a cautious approach.
"The TSU now enjoys only a 3 percent support rate. The KMT should avoid a high-profile move that may boost the TSU's halo," said lawmaker and committee member Hsu Shu-po (許舒博).
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
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)
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