Costumed and shouting slogans, legislative hopefuls came out in force yesterday, the first day of five that they can register as candidates in their voting districts for the year-end legislative elections.
Registration for the sixth legislative elections scheduled for Dec. 11 are being accepted at local-level election committees until Tuesday.
PHOTO: CNA
The lists of nominees for at-large legislative seats and seats representing overseas Chinese are being submitted directly to the Central Election Commission (CEC) by political parties, in accordance with the commission's regulations.
The campaigns began with a bang as many would-be contenders showed up to register in costume, while the New Party's hopefuls formally registered with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
In Taipei City, a five-member Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) team tried to piggyback on the recent Olympic hoopla by wearing fake gold medals.
Calling themselves "gold-medal warriors," the team, including legislators Shen Fu-hsiung (沈富雄), Kuo Cheng-liang (郭正亮), Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) and Lan Mei-chin (藍美津) -- along with Taipei City Councilor Wang Shih-chien (王世堅) -- said they were all confident of victory.
Not to be outdone, People First Party (PFP) candidates Lee Ching-an (
KMT candidate Justine Chou (
Aboriginal DPP candidate Chen Ying (
Meanwhile, lead by New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming (
The seven are: Taipei City Councilor Alex Fei (
After the seven signed the KMT forms, they, along with Yok and New Party Legislator Wu Cheng-tien (
Lien told the delegation "welcome home."
"We have waited to get these [KMT] legislative recommendations for 12 years [since the New Party was formed by KMT defectors]," Lee Sheng-feng said.
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
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by