With the Dec. 3 local government elections drawing near, the pan-blue and pan-green legislative caucuses began tearing into each other yesterday, with both sides threatening lawsuits and calling for various candidates to apologize or withdraw from the race.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) called on Liu Cheng-hong (劉政鴻), the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate for Miaoli County commissioner, to explain whether he has used a prerogative to default the payment of bank loans totaling NT$179 million.
Lai said that Liu had borrowed NT$50 million from a bank, after failing to pay off a NT$55 million loan from another bank when Liu served as the secretary-general of the KMT in 2003. Liu also stopped paying interest on a NT$85 million loan in 2002, making the total amount of bad debts about NT$180 million, Lai said.
Lai also asked KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to tell the public why his party nominates such candidates, and explain why Liu does not deserve to be kicked out of the race.
threats in nantou
Meanwhile, the DPP candidate for Nantou County commissioner, Tsai Huang-liang (
Lin yesterday alleged that Tsai meddled in the selection of the train communication system for the Taiwan Railway Administration in 2002.
Lin's allegation was widely seen as a political ploy, as his father, Nantou County Commissioner Lin Tsung-nan (林宗男), is seeking re-election as an independent candidate in the polls.
Lin Yun-sheng claimed that the railroad authorities had spent over three years and NT$40 million in planning and consulting fees, but changed its mind "all of a sudden" simply because of "concerns" expressed by Tsai.
In response, Tsai yesterday said that he did question the railroad authorities on the subject during a committee hearing, but that everything was conducted in public and in a legal manner.
While the railway administration planned to purchase an analog communication system, Tsai said that he thought a digital system would be a better choice, and hoped that the railroad agency would also consider the system.
Lai jumped to defend Tsai, saying that Tsai did not do anything wrong or illegal. Lai also called Lin Yun-sheng's accusation "improper."
"I'm calling on Lin Yun-sheng to stop imitating the KMT's dirty election tricks to smear election rivals," he said, adding that his caucus will not consider meting out disciplinary action until the elections are over.
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
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
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