Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
"From the KMT's perspective, the case is over," Lien said, noting that the judicial investigation into the case had been concluded and that the KMT had decided to drop all of its allegations against Soong.
Lien made the remarks at a press conference at CKS International Airport upon his return from a trip to Europe and the US yesterday morning.
PHOTO: TONY YAO, TAIPEI TIMES
Soong was at the press conference, as were KMT vice chairmen Wang Jin-pyng (
The Chung Hsing Bills Finance scandal began in December 1999 when then KMT legislator Yang Chi-hsiung (
During the 2000 presidential election campaign the KMT used the case to attack and discredit Soong, who was running as an independent against Lien and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Chen Shui-bian (
This February, the KMT drop-ped all embezzlement allegations against Soong, saying that the allegations had "all been a result of misunderstanding."
At the time, political observers said the KMT was trying to clear Soong's name as a peace offering to the PFP leader to get him to agree to run as vice president on a joint ticket with Lien next year.
"I hope the whole fuss will just come to a halt given that the case no longer exists," Lien said at yesterday's press conference.
The scandal returned to the headlines last week, however, when former president Lee Teng-hui (
Soong said last Friday that he was willing to confront Lee over his accusations that Soong had embezzled KMT funds.
"The case had now become a political case," Soong said, accusing the DPP of reopening the case to attack him ahead of next year's election.
Lien also told the press conference that the "one China" policy he advocates refers to the Republic of China.
"Based on the principle that the `one China' is the Republic of China, it is the fundamental strategic weapon for cross-strait peace," he said.
He did not elaborate further, but he did accuse Chen of not respecting the Constitution.
Commenting on the demonstration staged last Saturday by the DPP to back calls for a referendum law and for the drafting of a new constitution, Lien, said the KMT had never been against the holding of referendums.
However, he said a referendum "ought to be designed so it could only be initiated by the people and not by the government."
"If the government can at any time initiate the holding of a referendum on any issues, then what's the point of a government," he said.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS