The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday denied rumors that the party is working to "clean house" by kicking out pro-localization members and others who have been seen frequently interacting with the pan-green camp.
Saying that the party had no such intention, KMT spokeswoman Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) yesterday dismissed the rumors as "another attempt by people who wish to make use of all their time to drive wedges among party members."
Kuo said that "Party Chairman Lien Chan (
"Chairman Lien is confident in all the party's members and legislators," Kuo said, saying that "the party right now has no intention of cleaning house, but only of staying united" in order to perform well in the year-end legislative elections.
The talk of "cleaning house" has come in the midst of mounting calls from members of the party's pro-localization faction who, in the wake of Lien's failure to win the presidential election, have urged the party to speed up reforms. The pro-localization faction has also expressed concern about Lien's proposal to merge the KMT with the People First Party.
While declining to name individuals, Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Lo Chih-ming (
Having been implicated in such remarks, pro-localization KMT members such as Legislators Chen Hung-chang (
"The idea has never crossed my mind," Hsu said.
Chang said that he had been asked by the TSU several times if he were willing to switch party membership.
"My leaving the KMT is very unlikely ? I'd rather be considered a black sheep within the KMT," Chang said.
Chang's remarks meshed with those of TSU caucus whip Chen Chien-ming (
Saying that he is sure that no one within the party wants to defect, Legislative Speaker and KMT Vice Chairman Wang Jin-pyng (
A small number of Taiwanese this year lost their citizenship rights after traveling in China and obtaining a one-time Chinese passport to cross the border into Russia, a source said today. The people signed up through Chinese travel agencies for tours of neighboring Russia with companies claiming they could obtain Russian visas and fast-track border clearance, the source said on condition of anonymity. The travelers were actually issued one-time-use Chinese passports, they said. Taiwanese are prohibited from holding a Chinese passport or household registration. If found to have a Chinese ID, they may lose their resident status under Article 9-1
Taiwanese were praised for their composure after a video filmed by Taiwanese tourists capturing the moment a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Japan’s Aomori Prefecture went viral on social media. The video shows a hotel room shaking violently amid Monday’s quake, with objects falling to the ground. Two Taiwanese began filming with their mobile phones, while two others held the sides of a TV to prevent it from falling. When the shaking stopped, the pair calmly took down the TV and laid it flat on a tatami mat, the video shows. The video also captured the group talking about the safety of their companions bathing
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