Inter-party negotiations on an election recount broke down yesterday after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) caucuses failed to sign an agreement with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), insisting instead on a recount hosted by the judiciary.
Meanwhile, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) hosted separate inter-party negotiations yesterday to discuss whether to pass an amendment to the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Law (總統副總統選舉罷免法) tomorrow that would allow for a recount.
DPP and Taiwan Solidarity Union legislators and the Alliance of Independent Lawmakers agreed to hold an extra session of the Procedure Committee and proceed with inter-party negotiations to discuss the amendment and then to pass the amendment during tomorrow's legislative session.
The DPP caucus pointed out that if the amendment could be passed tomorrow, then the president could promulgate the law the same day, and the recount could be conducted next Tuesday.
Before the negotiations began yesterday, KMT policy convener Tseng Yung-chuan (
"Negotiations are wanted only by the DPP and negotiations do not solve the real issues such as the necessity to draw up implementation details for the law and the period of time required for that. I don't think the negotiations can solve the problem at hand," KMT caucus whip Liao Feng-te (廖風德) said after the inter-party discussions.
KMT Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (
The PFP caucus voiced similar concerns. PFP Legislator Chin Huei-chu (
"My husband told me that when he was voting, he found the voting stamp to be engraved with the correct voting sign on one side, but the wrong sign on the other side. Although my husband noticed it and stamped with the right sign correctly, two of my neighbors complained to me that they stamped using the wrong sign," Chin said.
PFP legislators Cheng Sang-yuan (
The PFP caucus pointed out the wrong voting stamps might be evidence of planned cheating. It demanded the judiciary intervene and host an immediate recount.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
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