The KMT yesterday wasted no time in courting Legislator Su Yin-kuei (
"Su's remarkable performance in the Legislative Yuan was obvious to all," said KMT legislative leader Lee Chia-chin (
"We hope that Su will take our offer into consideration," Lee said.
As well as the KMT, independent lawmakers also invited Su to join their caucus.
Su expressed his gratitude for the goodwill shown by his colleagues.
"I appreciate their friendly gestures," Su said. "But for now, I haven't thought about joining another party."
The TSU expelled Su on Monday for falsely accusing his comrade, TSU Legislator Lo Chih-ming (
Although he criticized his former party and described its decision-making process as "orderless," Su nonetheless offered his best wishes to the TSU, saying that he hoped the party would grow to become more mature in the future.
Founded in 2001 by former president Lee Teng-hui (
While the KMT and independent lawmakers rushed to invite Su to join them, the DPP kept its distance from the legislator expelled by its sister party.
When asked whether the DPP would try to persuade Su to join its legislative caucus, DPP caucus whip Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said there had been no discussion of the issue.
"We did not ask fellow DPP members about this issue nor hold any discussion about it," Chen said, adding that the DPP caucus would explore the matter later after the furor over Su's expulsion had died down.
In response to the pan-blue camp's overtures to Su, the TSU defended its decision to expel him and said he was free to do what he liked.
TSU legislative whip Chien Lin Whei-jun (
He had also frequently voted against vital bills in defiance of the TSU's party line and the party could take no more, Chien Lin said.
A NT$39 receipt for two bottles of tea at a FamilyMart was among the NT$10 million (US $312,969) special prize winners in the January-February uniform invoice lottery. FamilyMart said that two NT$10 million-winning receipts were issued at its stores, as well as two NT$2 million grand prizes and three NT$200,000 first prizes. The two NT$10 million receipts were issued at stores in Pingtung County and Yilan County’s Dongshan Township (冬山). One winner spent just NT$39 on two bottles of tea, while another spent NT$80 on water, tea and coffee, the company said. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven reported three NT$10 million winners — in New Taipei
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
Taiwan is concerned that China could exploit the US’ war in the Middle East, with state media citing examples from the conflict to cast doubt on the efficiency of US weapons Taiwan would use to repel an invasion. Taiwanese officials said the resumption of Beijing’s large-scale air force incursions near Taiwan after an unusual decline show that China wants to take advantage of the redeployment of US forces from East Asia to the Middle East. “This is a moment for China to exercise influence,” a senior Taiwanese security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “What China is trying to create is a