The pan-blue camp yesterday demanded an apology from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for accusing Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
Several pan-blue legislators yesterday accused the DPP of mudslinging. They said DPP Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (
KMT Legislator Huang Chao-shun (
They also expressed their anger over Hsiao making accusations based only on a letter whose writer was "a fraud" and called for an apology from the green camp.
Huang said that Lin was a fraud who might have been involved in cases of sexual abuse.
"Lin was dean of the National Taiwan University's department of political science for only a short period of time, because he used to invite female students over and then things happened. In the end, the university asked him to leave," Huang said.
Huang also pointed out that Lin was a fraud who tried to embezzle money from others using his status as a lawyer, but that his qualification was later cancelled.
"When Chen Chao-jung (
"We hope now that the DPP would follow this example and discipline Hsiao according to party regulations. We also want her to hold a press conference accompanied by the DPP caucus leaders to offer an apology. We also demand that the Presidential Office deprive Lin of his title as advisor," Lee said.
The DPP did not react to the pan-blue camp's demands. Instead, Hsiao, accompanied by other female DPP legislators and caucus secretary-general Tsai Huang-liang (
"There is nothing to apologize about. I came out to speak about the issue due to my sense of justice as a woman. The rumor of Lien beating his wife has been in circulation for many years and even [PFP chairman] James Soong (宋楚瑜) mentioned it during the 2000 presidential election," Hsiao said.
"I publicized the letter mainly because of my sympathy for abused women. In the past, when male politicians were involved in scandals, it was usually their wives who spoke up and endorsed them. Why doesn't the abuser speak up instead of the abused?" Hsiao said.
The DPP campaign headquarters yesterday supported Hsiao.
"Domestic violence is not just about personal morals, but it is about violating the Anti-Domestic Violence Law (家暴法). As a presidential candidate faced with issues that might have violated the law, Lien should offer an explanation to the public," said Wu Nai-jen (吳乃仁), DPP campaign headquarters spokesman.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
REWRITING HISTORY: China has been advocating a ‘correct’ interpretation of the victory over Japan that brings the CCP’s contributions to the forefront, an expert said An elderly Chinese war veteran’s shin still bears the mark of a bullet wound he sustained when fighting the Japanese as a teenager, a year before the end of World War II. Eighty years on, Li Jinshui’s scar remains as testimony to the bravery of Chinese troops in a conflict that killed millions of their people. However, the story behind China’s overthrow of the brutal Japanese occupation is deeply contested. Historians broadly agree that credit for victory lies primarily with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-led Republic of China (ROC) Army. Its leader, Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a