The New Tide (
There are a total of 15 Central Standing Committee members and 35 Central Executive Committee members.
Ten New Tide faction members were elected as Central Executive Committee members, three of which were elected as Central Standing Committee members.
Of the nine Welfare State Alliance faction members elected as Central Executive Committee members yesterday, three were elected Central Standing Committee members.
The remaining six Central Executive Committee members are from the Justice Alliance faction (
Thirty of the 35 Central Executive Committee members were elected from the ranks of the National Congress. The remaining five posts are reserved for the leader of the legislative caucus and the party chairman -- who in turn must appoint the remaining five committee members.
Ten of the 15 Central Standing Committee members are elected from the ranks of the Central Executive Committee.
The five reserved seats for the two committees are President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of the Justice Alliance faction, Premier Yu Shyi-kun, DPP legislative leader Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) of the Welfare State Alliance faction (福利國), DPP Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) of the Welfare State Alliance faction and DPP legislator at large Chang Chun-hung (張俊宏) of the New Era Institute faction (新世紀辦公室).
During the election for Central Executive Committee members, Tsai Nan-lung (
Of the 30 elected Central Executive Committee members, eight were women and five were alternate members.
During the election of the 10 Central Standing Committee members, Chairwoman of the Council of Labor Affairs Chen Chu (陳菊) of the New Tide faction, legislator at large Hsu Jung-hsu (許榮淑) of the New Dynamics faction and Cabinet Secretary-General Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) of the New Tide faction were forced to draw lots after they all received two votes. Chen and Hsu won.
The quota for women on the Central Standing Committee is two.
Commenting on her victory, Hsu said that it came as a big surprise.
"I didn't expect to win -- and many other faction members had tried to persuade me to quit," she said.
The National Congress yesterday also elected 11 Central Review Committee members, who chose DPP legislator Shen Fu-hsiung (
Central Review Committee members are chosen from National Congress members who have served at local chapters, county or city governments, or as local representatives at provincial or city councils, judges or prosecutors, or as lawyers or accountants.
The National Congress yesterday also approved 11 Arbitration Committee members, who are recommended by the Central Standing Committee. Arbitration Committee members are usually social elites who are said to be politically neutral.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a