A Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker yesterday joined opposition parties in demanding the resignations of Minister of Economic Affairs Ho Mei-yueh (何美玥) and Water Resources Agency Director-General Chen Shen-hsien (陳伸賢) for what he called negligence in fixing the nation's flooding problems.
DPP Legislator Tu Wen-ching (
Chen said that some officials would have to step down to shoulder responsibility for the unsolved water-supply problems plaguing Taoyuan County.
Tu made the remark yesterday morning before listening to briefings by Ho and Chen Shen-hsien, who were invited by the DPP caucus to speak about the government's proposed eight-year, NT$80 billion flood-control project.
The DPP hopes to call a special legislative session to pass the flood-control bill, as well as five other bills the party deems to be urgent.
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
Tu said that Ho and Chen Shen-hsien have showed little concern for the flooding problem in his constituency of Miaoli County.
"One segment of the embankment along Ta-an River collapsed last year, and it has not yet been fixed. I have no idea what you have been doing," Tu said.
While residents of Taoyuan Countyintermittently do not have water, Tu said that many people in his constituency do not have any tap water whatsoever.
Before Ho and Chen Shen-hsien could respond or start their briefings, Tu stormed out of the room.
Taoyuan prosecutors have launched an investigation into whether corruption was involved in the construction of the pumping station and the cleaning of the reservoir.
The NT$100 million (US$3.14 million) pumping station was built last September to ensure normal water supplies during post-typhoon periods. Construction was completed in May.
Prosecutors have said that pumping machines breaking down led directly to the current water-supply problems in southern Taoyuan County.
Opposition legislative caucuses yesterday reiterated their calls for Ho's resignation.
Saying that "a wrongheaded government policy is worse than corruption," Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Tsai Chin-lung (
Sun Ta-chien (
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS