In the first of many anticipated power struggles over party nominations for the year-end county commissioner elections, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) at large Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) yesterday announced his intention to enter the race for Nantou County Commissioner, despite the fact that DPP-affiliated incumbent commissioner Lin Tseng-nan (林宗男) has previously said he will run for re-election in that county this year.
"Why is it that Nantou County is always the last in all polls? We need to ask all of the residents of Nantou County whether or not there is something wrong with our government," said Tsai yesterday, criticizing Lin's leadership in Nantou County.
PHOTO: LIN MING-HONG, TAIPEI TIMES
"Does the DPP have no ability left? Too many people have told me that they are disillusioned with the DPP administration," he added.
Tsai, whose former constituency was Nantou County, made the remarks at a press conference yesterday while announcing his intention to run for the county's commissioner post.
At the press conference, Tsai signed a statement promising not to abuse any person's character, smear anyone's reputation or engage in personal attacks. In the statement, Tsai also promised that he would not grumble he should lose his party's backing for the commissioner post. If he went back on any of his promises, Tsai said, he would drop out of politics and accept any punishment from his party no matter how severe, even if that included being expelled from the party.
Tsai's rival, Lin, was less than impressed with the former legislative caucus whip's words yesterday.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai