In December 1992, 51-year-old Taiwan-born Chen Che-nan (
Chen, born in 1941 and once an elementary school teacher, began his political career in the middle of the 1970s by serving as borough warden in Kaohsiung City. His strong Taiwan consciousness gradually grew more and more inconsistent with the viewpoints of the KMT. In 1992, he severely criticized senior KMT officials, such as former premier Hao Po-tsun (郝柏村), saying their sticking to the "One China" policy would eventually sell Taiwan out to China. He was expelled only 16 days prior to that year's legislative election. However, his image of a victim persecuted by the KMT and of a fighter for Taiwan's dignity won him a victory in the election in Kaohsiung City.
In 1993, Chen Che-nan was warmly welcomed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Back then, he would hardly have been able to imagine that he would be expelled 12 years later. And this time around, his disposal was processed in a more humiliating way.
PHOTO: CHANG CHUNG-YI, TAIPEI TIMES (SCREEN GRAB FROM TVBS)
Because of Chen Che-nan's alleged corruption in connection with the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) scandal, President Chen Shui-bian (
In early 1994, when then DPP lawmaker Chen Shui-bian, a Tainan County native, won the party's candidacy for the Taipei mayoral election, Chen Che-nan offered his assistance wherever he could, both spiritually and practically.
When Chen Shui-bian replaced Thomas Huang (
Political observers see Chen Che-nan, who knew the complex social networks in the south, is familiar with the political culture of Taiwanese communities and had been influenced by the KMT for decades, as a powerful builder of Chen Shui-bian's political career. However, during Chen Che-nan's tenure as former deputy secretary-general to the Presidential Office during Chen Shui-bian's first term as president from May 2000 to March last year, opposition political figures kept attacking him because of an alleged involvement in scandals. These allegations included interfering with governmental bidding projects and illegally receiving election-campaign funds. Chen Che-nan refuted all accusations. Last year he even claimed to have been suing a local Chinese-language weekly publication that alleged its investigations revealed that the value of Chen Che-nan properties has increased by NT$ 100 million in the last decade.
Before the presidential election last year, Chen Che-nan's name was mentioned in the controversy regarding fugitive tycoon Chen Yu-hao's (陳由豪) delivering bribe money to the DPP camp. Inside the Presidential Office, rumors regarding Chen Che-nan's abusing office staff to look after personal business continued. However, prior to Chen Che-nan's end of tenure at the Presidential Office in May last year, no investigation could prove his involvement in any scandal.
Since late August, when the riot by Thai workers of the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) was widely reported by local media, an investigation of an agent for immigrant workers found illegalities involving Chen Min-hsien (陳敏賢), former Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) vice chairman. In early September, the riot scandal resulted in the resignation of deputy Kaohisung Mayor Chen Chi-Mai (陳其邁), whose political career was launched in 1994 with the assistance of Chen Che-nan, his father. The last words of Chen Chi-Mai to the public was that his father was innocent and not involved in the scandal. However, early last month, investigators turned their attention to Chen Che-nan after uncovering certain clues.
The situation led Chen Che-nan to resign from the position as National Policy Advisor in the Presidential Office in a clear bid to cut the connection with Chen Shui-bian. Late last month, a photograph of Chen Che-nan and Chen Min-hsien gambling at a casino on Cheju Island, South Korea, seriously damaged the image of Chen Shui-bian, whose employing of people unsuitable for their jobs had been criticized as unwise.
According to Chen Wen-tsung (
"In the past, most people might have believed that any words spoken by Chen Che-nan, one of the president's close confidants, had been delivered with the president's blessing," Chen Wen-tsung told the Taipei Times last week.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
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