The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday announced that it will hold a large-scale campaign rally, dubbed "Anti-War for Protecting Taiwan," on Thursday evening to boost party momentum for the upcoming National Assembly elections. The rally will be held in Hsinchuang, Taipei County.
Although the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) was invited to the event, the party criticized the DPP rally as a mere ploy to swindle the public out of their votes.
Showing a DPP rally invitation letter to the media yesterday, TSU Secretary-General Chen Chien-ming (陳建銘) slammed the DPP for its flip-flopping in its call to oppose Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Lien Chan's (連戰) China visit at the rally, even though President Chen Shui-bian (
"I want to ask the DPP -- why did you support Lien's trip to China? Why didn't you criticize the agreement reached between Lien and Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) as illegal?" Chen said.
"The DPP's strategy in dealing with Lien's visit to China is inconsistent and two-faced," he added.
"We think that the purpose of the DPP rally has less to do with National Assembly elections and more to do with cheating people out of votes by playing on their apathy," Chen said.
Since Lien Chan's first name means "war" in Mandarin, and the DPP rally will take on an "anti-war" theme, the TSU official said the event was an attempted strategy to consolidate support merely by smearing Lien.
Responding to a question from the media, Chen said that TSU officials and lawmakers will go to CKS International Airport to "greet" the KMT chairman as he returns from China this evening.
"We have not encouraged our supporters to go with us because the government is incapable of protecting their safety, and we don't want to see people beaten by gangsters once again," Chen said.
In response to TSU criticism, DPP Secretary-General Lee Yi-yang (
"I think it is unfair to say that [the DPP] cheats people. We are not two-faced at all," Lee said.
Lee also said that Thursday's rally will highlight the DPP's position on the opposition leaders' trips to China, and seek support for constitutional reform.
"The DPP's stand is clear. We firmly oppose Lien's accepting of the non-existent `1992 consensus.' What Lien did in China is just like giving up the deed to a house in exchange for some furniture," Lee said.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS