With 51 votes for and 14 against, the DPP legislative caucus passed a resolution yesterday saying that DPP Legislator-at-large Chiu Chang (
The passing of the resolution means that Chiu's case will be passed on to the party's Central Review Committee (CRC,
The party alleges that in refusing to show her ballot, Chiu ignored a party resolution requiring members to show how they voted. Chiu's refusal, the resolution said, cast doubt on whether she had voted for the DPP candidate.
PHOTO: LIAO RAY-SHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
On April 1, the party's CRC voted 8 to 2 to strip Chiu of her membership. That ruling, however, was overturned by the DPP Arbitration Committee on April 3, because of procedural flaws.
Yesterday's meeting started with a videotape of the incident, after which Chiu spoke in her defense. Following Chiu, reports were presented by Tsai Huang-liang (
Even though the meeting was help in a spirit of openness, there are reports that the party's Justice Alliance (
If the CRC decides to expel Chiu, she will become the third DPP legislator to be expelled from the party in its history, following Hou Hai-hsiung (侯海熊) and Chang Chin-cheng (張晉城). She would also lose her post as a legislator-at-large and become one the legislature's shortest-serving members ever.
In reaction to the landslide decision in favor of passing her case on to the CRC, Chiu said, "It's OK, I'll continue fighting," adding that she had submitted a request for a constitutional interpretation last week.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
The age requirement for commercial pilots and airline transport pilots is to be lowered by two years, to 18 and 21 years respectively, to expand the pool of pilots in accordance with international standards, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced today. The changes are part of amendments to articles 93, 119 and 121 of the Regulations Governing Licenses and Ratings for Airmen (航空人員檢定給證管理規則). The amendments take into account age requirements for aviation personnel certification in the Convention on International Civil Aviation and EU’s aviation safety regulations, as well as the practical needs of managing aviation personnel licensing, the ministry said. The ministry