■ Politics
Chen soothes DPP members
In a bid to bring the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and government more in line with the Presidential Office, President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday expressed his wish to establish a regular negotiation mechanism among the three groups. The mechanism may be similar to the former nine-member policy-making task force which offered advice on important government policies. Chen said that he would cooperate fully with such advisory meetings once they have been arranged by the party or Executive Yuan. DPP caucus whip Chen Chin-jun (陳景峻) said the president made the proposal during a tea party attended by 22 lawmakers, most of whom have criticized him for keeping them out of the loop or embarrassing them by making comments contradicting statements they have made. Chen Shui-bian held the tea party in a bid to address DPP members' concerns. He asked them to have faith in him and vowed to continue down the path of democratic reform and reconciliation with opposition parties based on "Taiwan consciousness."
■ Year-end polls
KMT supports Jason Hu
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday decided to nominate incumbent Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) for another term in office in the year-end elections of city mayors and county commissioners. The party formally approved the nomination during its weekly Central Standing Committee meeting yesterday morning. KMT Legislator Lee Chuan-chiao (李全教), who has his eye on becoming Tainan County commissioner, reported that he had met with strong opposition from the pan-green camp during his campaign. Lee denied recent media reports that he had sexually assaulted a model. He denounced the reports as "pan-green oppression." Chinese-language media reported yesterday that Lee was being sued by a model who claimed he had gotten her drunk and sexually assaulted her last year.
■ Politics
Hurry up, Lu tells legislature
Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday urged the Legislative Yuan to quickly start reviewing the list of Control Yuan members nominated by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). Lu accused the previous and current legislatures of neglecting their duties and of holding the Constitution and the president's power in contempt for refusing to exercise their consent for the nominations. The situation has delayed the inauguration of the new ombudsmen, originally set for Feb. 1, Lu said. The nominations were shelved by the previous legislature after objections by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party.
■ Crime
Executive faces prosecutors
Sophie Yeh (葉素菲), a former chairperson of Procomp Informatics, was summoned for questioning by the Taiwan High Prosecutor's Office yesterday, one day after being released on NT$80 million (US$2.56 million) bail. The Taiwan High Prosecutor's Office said it has been investigating whether Yeh was involved in embezzling funds from Suntek Compound Semiconductor, a chip foundry affiliated to Procomp Informatics. Yeh might have embezzled funds from several firms related to Procomp, the prosecutor's office said. Prosecutors said they would not ask the court to detain her again. Yeh is suspected of being involved in the embezzlement of over NT$7 billion from Procomp. Last October, prosecutors recommended a sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a NT$500 million fine.
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
SILENT MAJORITY: Only 1 percent of Chinese rejected all options but war to annex Taiwan, while one-third viewed war as unacceptable, a university study showed Many Chinese are more concerned with developments inside their country than with seeking unification with Taiwan, al-Jazeera reported on Friday. Although China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary, 23-year-old Chinese Shao Hongtian was quoted by al-Jazeera as saying that “hostilities are not the way to bring China and Taiwan together.” “I want unification to happen peacefully,” Shao said. Al-Jazeera said it changed Shao’s name to respect his wish for anonymity. If peaceful unification is not possible, Shao said he would prefer “things to remain as they are,” adding that many of his friends feel
Taiwan has “absolute air superiority” over China in its own airspace, Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, amid concern over whether Taipei could defend itself against a military incursion by Beijing. Po made the remarks in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) on whether Taiwan would have partial or complete air superiority if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were to enter Taiwan’s airspace. Po, a retired pilot, said that the Taiwanese military has “absolute air superiority” over PLA
A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all