The DPP is leading Taiwan toward a "horrible" democracy in which the judicial system has lost its independence and respect, leaders of the KMT and PFP said yesterday.
KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) made these remarks in two separate election-related events held in Taipei and Kaohsiung, respectively. They were referring to a recent campaign incident during a DPP rally when President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) called out to a large audience, urging them to support a prosecution proposal to "put into jail" all the accused, including two ex-ministerial officials, involved in the corruption scandal at the Jin-Wen Institute of Technology and Jin-Wen Group.
Lien said this was like conducting a "public trial," ignoring the impartiality of the judicial system.
"The judiciary should be independent and highly respected, and a judicial case cannot become a subject of arbitrary discussion," Lien said.
"The [president] handing down a verdict on such an occasion for the masses is similar to methods used in a public trial. How horrible this experience is for Taiwan's democracy," Lien added.
In agreement with Lien, Soong said this situation was worrying for people as this was not the first time Chen has behaved in this way.
Soong made reference to the case in which independent Lo Fu-chu (羅福助) was listed as a hoodlum by the police last month. "The president has no respect for judicial procedures. When he notified his supporters that some people would be arrested before the action was taken, he now wants to have some people jailed before the trial even starts," Soong said.
Lien, meanwhile, said Taiwan's campaign culture is deteriorating in light of the numerous "unimaginable" actions taken by the DPP, which include fact twisting, splitting the nation along ethnic lines and even the use of violence.
"In a rally in southern Taiwan a day before yesterday, a DPP candidate openly asked his supporters to hit me with their fists. This is how Taiwan has become in the 21st century," Lien said.
Over the past 18 months of the DPP's rule, Taiwan's crime rate has seen a significant increase, he said.
For example, Lien said, the number of criminal cases has grown by an average 7,000 cases per month, burglary by 5,000 cases and violent crime by 250 cases, while the total number of drug-related cases over the last 18 months are six times that prior to Chen's inauguration.
According to Lien, the large amount of forged money that is flooding the market place is yet another example of the incompetence of the DPP government.
"In the past when the KMT was in power, everybody was holding a cellphone. Today, everybody is holding a cash detector instead," Lien said.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned