The acting chairman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday that inter-party talks will soon begin with its ally the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), as a precursor to expanded discussions with other parties.
Ker Chien-ming (
Ker said the basic view was that there must be an end to the bickering between the ruling and opposition parties through some form of reconciliation, and pointed to Chen's new year's address to the nation, where he entreated all political parties to come together for the benefit of Taiwan.
In the speech, the president said that if something benefits the stability of domestic politics, the welfare of the people, harmony among ethnic groups and cross-strait peace, then it can be discussed between political parties for further cooperation to achieve positive results.
Ker said the DPP will maintain a "parallel and equidistant" relationship with the TSU, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the People First Party (PFP), and will begin to communicate with them as soon as possible.
Since the DPP has cooperated more regularly with the TSU in the past, it will consult with it first, Ker said, adding he will contact TSU acting-chairman Huang Tzung-yuan (
Huang replied he was happy to begin discussions about cooperation and added that the KMT and the PFP also need to come to the table for the sake of political stability.
Meanwhile, Huang Teh-fu (黃德福), a KMT caucus whip in the legislature, said yesterday that political parties can talk among themselves and the president only needs to step in if there is a bottleneck in communications.
Huang Teh-fu said that as president of all the people, Chen should not interfere with DPP party affairs.
He also said he hoped that the offer to communicate better was not being used as a facade to hide the real goal of the DPP -- to drive a wedge between the opposition pan-blue alliance of the KMT and the PFP. Reports have said recently that the DPP will allow the PFP to place some of its officials in the new Cabinet.
Last night, the Executive Yuan decided that it would resign en masse on Jan. 24.
Speculation over the last couple of weeks has centered on the possibility of Chen naming a new premier and forming a coalition Cabinet with opposition parties.
Senior government officials, including Yu himself, have been tightlipped about the imminent Cabinet reshuffle.
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park this weekend, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a theme food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances. Pokemon Go Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as photo attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs. Pokemon trainers could also experience the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area. Three PokeStops are to be set up in the park. Trainers are invited to take
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