The violence at the pan-blue rally on April 10 has caused the approval ratings of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (
According to the poll, Lien's approval rating has dropped to 28 percent from the 40 percent recorded prior to the pan-blue rally on March 27, while Soong's approval rating has dropped to 27 percent, from 38 percent recorded before March 27.
On the other hand, President Chen Shui-bian's (
The poll was conducted by telephone among 1,000 respondents.
The poll results also showed that 57 percent of respondents disapproved of a possible pan-blue rally on May 19.
As to the approval ratings of political parties, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) scored the highest approval rating at 39 percent, followed by the 37 percent of the KMT and 25 percent of the PFP.
On the question of whether Lien should take responsibility for the pan-blue camp's failure to win the presidential election and resign as chairman of the KMT, respondents had different views. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said that Lien should give up his chairmanship, with 21 percent saying that he does not necessarily have to step down.
A further 14 percent said that Lien should not be held responsible for the pan-blue camp's failure to win the presidential election.
As to the question of whether the KMT should go through a transfer of leadership from the older leaders to younger ones, where the young refers to Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and KMT Deputy Chairman and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), 50 percent of respondents was in favor of this idea while 14 percent opposed it.
On the question of whether the KMT and PFP should merge into one single political party, 20 percent of respondents agreed while 16 percent felt that it was a feasible idea, whereas 22 percent were not in favor of the idea.
On the question of which party's legislative candidates respondents would vote for, 47 percent of respondents were undecided and said that they would have to see which candidates would be available in their districts.
Among respondents who have already made up their minds, 10 percent said they would vote for DPP candidates, 12 percent for KMT candidates, 5 percent for PFP candidates and 1 percent for Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) candidates.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest