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.
Considering that most countries issue more than five denominations of banknotes, the central bank has decided to redesign all five denominations, the bank said as it prepares for the first major overhaul of the banknotes in more than 24 years. Central bank Governor Yang Chin-lung (楊金龍) is expected to report to the Legislative Yuan today on the bank’s operations and the redesign’s progress. The bank in a report sent to the legislature ahead of today’s meeting said it had commissioned a survey on the public’s preferences. Survey results showed that NT$100 and NT$1,000 banknotes are the most commonly used, while NT$200 and NT$2,000
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported the first case of a new COVID-19 subvariant — BA.3.2 — in a 10-year-old Singaporean girl who had a fever upon arrival in Taiwan and tested positive for the disease. The girl left Taiwan on March 20 and the case did not have a direct impact on the local community, it said. The WHO added the BA.3.2 strain to its list of Variants Under Monitoring in December last year, but this was the first imported case of the COVID-19 variant in Taiwan, CDC Deputy Director-General Lin Ming-cheng (林明誠) said. The girl arrived in Taiwan on
ANNUAL EVENT: Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in Daan Park, with an event zone operating from 10am to 6pm This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park today and tomorrow, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a themed food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said yesterday. Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm, it said. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs, it added. People could also try the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area, the department said. Three PokeStops are
This year’s Taipei Floral Picnic is to be held at Daan Park this weekend, featuring an exclusive Pokemon Go event, a theme food market, a coffee rave picnic area and stage performances. Pokemon Go Two massive Pokemon balloons are to be set up in the park as photo attractions, with an exclusive event zone operating from 10am to 6pm. Participants who complete designated tasks on-site would have a chance to receive limited-edition souvenirs. Pokemon trainers could also experience the newly launched game Pokemon Pokopia in the trial area. Three PokeStops are to be set up in the park. Trainers are invited to take
RSS