The People First Party (PFP) legislators who were accused of slander by the Presidential Office refused to apologize yesterday and tried to shift the focus of attention off themselves to the recent allegations about the government's overseas donations.
UFO Radio chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) was also unrepentant yesterday, saying he would take legal action if Presidential Office Secretary-General Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) did not apologize for calling him names within three days.
The Presidential Office yesterday pressed charges against PFP caucus whip Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄), Legislator Tsai Chung-han (蔡中涵) and Jaw for accusing President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of giving US$1 million to former Panamanian president Mireya Moscoso as a birthday gift.
Liu said yesterday that he would "examine and reflect on the usage of settlement fee" to signify the US$ 1 million.
"But the real problem here is that the government uses secret budgets to provide financial aid to foreign governments and yet it still fails to gain diplomatic advantages. We should not shift the [media] focus to the lawsuit," Liu said.
Liu said that PFP colleagues had told him to refine his language, and so he would examine himself accordingly.
"But this is still more refined than Minister of Foreign Affairs Mark Chen's (陳唐山) talk of LP [lam pa]," Liu argued.
Liu said he had wanted to retaliate by suing Su for calling him a "rogue politician," but then PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) persuaded him not to.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus, meanwhile, gave its support to the Presidential Office's lawsuit. The caucus also demanded Soong make an apology or it might end negotiations with its PFP counterpart.
"Liu quoted information from the Chinese government and falsely accused President Chen," DPP caucus whip Lee Chun-yee (
"The PFP should immediately remove Liu from its legislators-at-large list and Soong should offer an apology, or we will consider closing all negotiations with the PFP," Lee said.
Liu is ranked No. 1 on the PFP legislators-at-large list for the next legislature.
Jaw also demanded Su apologize to him for calling him a "rogue media professional."
"I will decide on what action to take based on Su's response," Jaw said.
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS