When a new team was introduced in late July to take over the cash-strapped Independent Evening Post (自立晚報), employees thought a changing of the guard would put the paper on a more solid footing. But reality appears to suggest otherwise.
"If the situation continues to deteriorate the way it has, the workers keep protesting and no financial backing can be found, the only solution is have the paper closed," Liu I-te (
Two weeks ago, the paper's workers' union filed a lawsuit against its former chairman Wang Shih-chien (
Only days later, the situation became more chaotic after the newly appointed Chang claimed his chairmanship wasn't valid because his appointment hadn't been approved by board members.
On July 26, it was widely reported that Chang, a doctor of Chinese medicine, had succeeded Wang as the Post's chairman.
But Chang said after the labor disputes re-emerged two weeks ago that he was being used by Wang as "a tool to evade his legal responsibilities."
On Tuesday, the paper's workers' union led a group of employees to protest in front of the DPP headquarters. They hoped the ruling party could help save the paper from perishing.
The group stressed their common ideology of challenging the KMT's dominance during its 54-year history and asked the DPP to expel Wang, a DPP Taipei City councilor, from the party.
But DPP authorities gave the petitioners a cold response, saying the party had no right to mete out a penalty to members who did not violate any party rules.
In the face of the paper's bleak financial outlook, Chang and Wang are denying any responsibility.
Chang told the Taipei Times yesterday that he was not able to offer any assistance for the time being, unless his status as the paper's chairman was cleared through the proper legal process.
Former chairman Wang said that his obligations with the paper were fulfilled when he handed over his managerial duties to the new team in July.
Wang said it was absurd to accuse him of embezzlement. According to Wang, the financial details concerning the newspaper have been made clear. He said the paper was NT$22 million in debt but was owed NT$37 million, meaning there was no deficit when he left.
A source at the newspaper told the Taipei Times yesterday that the paper's problems were not the fault of any individual, but were the combination of its protracted financial woes, its powerful and intransigent union and the fact that the new managers were unwilling to provide additional money.
There are 240 employees at the Post, who cost the paper NT$18 million per month.
Liu said it would be unfortunate if the paper was forced to close because under the new team, the paper has improved tremendously both in circulation and advertising.
"But if the union keeps pushing the management to the edge, the chance to find new capital will be very slim. Then the closing of the paper is inevitable," he said.
NO-LIMITS PARTNERSHIP: ‘The bottom line’ is that if the US were to have a conflict with China or Russia it would likely open up a second front with the other, a US senator said Beijing and Moscow could cooperate in a conflict over Taiwan, the top US intelligence chief told the US Senate this week. “We see China and Russia, for the first time, exercising together in relation to Taiwan and recognizing that this is a place where China definitely wants Russia to be working with them, and we see no reason why they wouldn’t,” US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told a US Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on Thursday. US Senator Mike Rounds asked Haines about such a potential scenario. He also asked US Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse
INSPIRING: Taiwan has been a model in the Asia-Pacific region with its democratic transition, free and fair elections and open society, the vice president-elect said Taiwan can play a leadership role in the Asia-Pacific region, vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) told a forum in Taipei yesterday, highlighting the nation’s resilience in the face of geopolitical challenges. “Not only can Taiwan help, but Taiwan can lead ... not only can Taiwan play a leadership role, but Taiwan’s leadership is important to the world,” Hsiao told the annual forum hosted by the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation think tank. Hsiao thanked Taiwan’s international friends for their long-term support, citing the example of US President Joe Biden last month signing into law a bill to provide aid to Taiwan,
China’s intrusive and territorial claims in the Indo-Pacific region are “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive,” new US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo said on Friday, adding that he would continue working with allies and partners to keep the area free and open. Paparo made the remarks at a change-of-command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, where he took over the command from Admiral John Aquilino. “Our world faces a complex problem set in the troubling actions of the People’s Republic of China [PRC] and its rapid buildup of forces. We must be ready to answer the PRC’s increasingly intrusive and
STATE OF THE NATION: The legislature should invite the president to deliver an address every year, the TPP said, adding that Lai should also have to answer legislators’ questions The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday proposed inviting president-elect William Lai (賴清德) to make a historic first state of the nation address at the legislature following his inauguration on May 20. Lai is expected to face many domestic and international challenges, and should clarify his intended policies with the public’s representatives, KMT caucus secretary-general Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said when making the proposal at a meeting of the legislature’s Procedure Committee. The committee voted to add the item to the agenda for Friday, along with another similar proposal put forward by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). The invitation is in line with Article 15-2