■ Party politics
TSU expands reach
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Chairman Huang Chu-wen (黃主文) expressed the hope yesterday that his party will win at least 35 seats in the next legislative elections to be held late next year. Addressing the inauguration of the party's Kaohsiung County chapter in southern Taiwan, Huang said that although the TSU had only 50-odd members when it was established in August, 2001, the party won 13 seats in the 225-member Legislature in the elections held in December of that same year and grabbed 8.5 percent of all the votes cast nationwide. The TSU plans to established 27 more regional chapters.
■ Third-World Trade
Market seen in Iraq
A spokesman for the Market Information Center under the Institute for Information Industry suggested yesterday that Taiwan's information sector could seek business opportunities in occupied Iraq through contractual mechanisms for reconstruction to be led mainly by the US. The spokesman said Taiwan computer firms, usually unfamiliar with Third World markets, could consider exploring the post-war Iraqi market by seeking a role in the US-imposed reconstruction program. It is estimated that at least US$350 billion will be needed to carry out reconstruction in Iraq, he noted, adding that the country's demand for new computers is around 1 million units per year.
■ Legislative reform
Referendum still on platform
A DPP lawmaker yesterday reiterated the ruling party's support for a referendum law. Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), the DPP legislative caucus whip, said his party has never wavered in its support for giving to the public the right to referendum to have the final say on national issues which he said is a vital part of a democracy. Through referendums, the government could follow public opinion in deciding whether to go ahead with controversial major public projects such as the island's fourth nuclear plant, Chen said. Chen has not shown his hand on whether such a law should be used in settling the question of whether the country should rename itself.
■ Health
Groups write to Annan
More than 20 organizations of Taiwanese-Americans in Los Angeles sent a joint letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan Saturday, urging him to support Taiwan's bids to join the World Health Organization and to attend the 55th World Health Assembly as an observer in May. The letter pointed out that the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is threatening the lives of all people in the world, but the 23 million people on Taiwan have been denied the assistance that WHO can provide.
■ Water resources
Mayor urges vigilance
Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday called for continued efforts by the public in conserving water to avoid a water shortage despite the fact that the situation at the Feitsui Reservoir in Taipei County has improved recently.
Ma made the remarks at a water-conservation campaign sponsored by the municipal Environmental Protection Bureau prior to Earth Day which is tomorrow. Although the water level at the Feitsui Reservoir -- the major water provider for the greater Taipei area -- is higher compared to the same time last year thanks to last week's rainfall, Ma urged Taipei residents to continue cooperating with water-conservation efforts.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard