Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) challenged Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) right after he took over the party leadership yesterday to mean business in his pledge to reform the party, particularly on the issues of "black gold" and vote-buying.
Su also challenged Ma to lead the KMT into what he described as "benevolent competition" with the DPP during the year-end elections of county magistrates and mayors.
During a stumping tour of Taoyuan in northern Taiwan, Su advised Ma to shed his "teflon" image if he wants to wean his party off the so-called "black gold" or money politics and vote-buying.
Su said he understands Ma's ambition to lead the KMT to win back power in the 2008 presidential election, but the DPP will do its utmost to get good grades on President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) administration, an achievement that he claimed will ensure the DPP continues as the ruling party.
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According to Lai, Ma spent much of his speech attacking the president and his administrative record as if he was delivering a campaign speech in 2008.
"Loud criticism of the DPP does not mean the KMT will improve, as that requires concrete strategies," Lai said.
He also ridiculed Ma for "copying what Lien Chan (
Cheng Chen-lung (程振隆), secretary-general of the pro-independence opposition Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), said that if Ma wants the "pan-blue alliance" to take power in 2008, he must deal with the baggage of the party's ill-gotten assets, return the party to the middle ground and respect the people's right to choose between unification and independence.
Ma's anti-Taiwan independence remarks show that he does not respect the people, he claimed, adding that Ma should agree to allow the people a free choice between unification with China and Taiwan independence.
The government should improve children’s outdoor spaces and accelerate carbon reduction programs, as the risk of heat-related injury due to high summer temperatures rises each year, Greenpeace told a news conference yesterday. Greenpeace examined summer temperatures in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung to determine the effects of high temperatures and climate change on children’s outdoor activities, citing data garnered by China Medical University, which defines a wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of 29°C or higher as posing the risk of heat-related injury. According to the Central Weather Administration, WBGT, commonly referred to as the heat index, estimates
Taipei and other northern cities are to host air-raid drills from 1:30pm to 2pm tomorrow as part of urban resilience drills held alongside the Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan’s largest annual military exercises. Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan, Yilan County, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to hold the annual Wanan air defense exercise tomorrow, following similar drills held in central and southern Taiwan yesterday and today respectively. The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Maokong Gondola are to run as usual, although stations and passenger parking lots would have an “entry only, no exit” policy once air raid sirens sound, Taipei
Taipei placed 14th in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Best Student Cities 2026 list, its highest ever, according to results released yesterday. With an overall score of 89.1, the city climbed 12 places from the previous year, surpassing its previous best ranking of 17th in 2019. Taipei is “one of Asia’s leading higher-education hubs,” with strong employer activity scores and students “enjoying their experience of the city and often keen to stay after graduation,” a QS staff writer said. In addition to Taipei, Hsinchu (71st), Tainan (92nd), Taichung (113th) and Taoyuan (130th) also made QS’ list of the top 150 student cities. Hsinchu showed the
Environmental groups yesterday filed an appeal with the Executive Yuan, seeking to revoke the environmental impact assessment (EIA) conditionally approved in February for the Hsieh-ho Power Plant’s planned fourth liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving station off the coast of Keelung. The appeal was filed jointly by the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group, the Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association and the Keelung City Taiwan Head Cultural Association, which together held a news conference outside the Executive Yuan in Taipei. Explaining the reasons for the appeal, Wang Hsing-chih (王醒之) of the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group said that the EIA failed to address