People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) yesterday reaffirmed that he would assume a legislator-at-large seat if President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was willing to debate national policy in the legislature.
Speaking at a press conference, Soong called on Chen not to make a state-of-the-nation report to the legislature, but take part in a debate instead. If that were to happen, Soong said he would become a legislator-at-large and join the debate.
Soong's comments came one day after Chen said he was willing to present a report on national affairs to the Legislative Yuan in the interest of resolving policy conflicts between party caucuses.
On Sept. 17, Soong called for Chen to enter into talks with the legislature and said that he would take on a legislator-at-large seat should his proposal be accepted.
"I commend Chen for responding to my offer, even though he had no choice but to eventually answer to the public," he said yesterday.
Urging Chen to consider a debate, Soong said Chen should "accept the people's questions" to demonstrate his sincerity and allow the legislature to perform its function of supervising the executive.
Soong rejected claims from the Democratic Progressive Party that the Constitution does not allow for the president to be questioned in the legislature. As there was nothing expressively forbidding the president from debating the legislature, Chen should not hide behind excuses, Soong said.
He said that a number of PFP legislators-at-large had offered to forfeit their seats so that he could become a legislator. He hinted that Legislator Lee Tung-hao (李桐豪) would most likely be the one to give up his seat.
Soong said that he would regret any legislator resigning, but that he had to "pursue justice without turning back."
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
RSS