Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Hsueh Ling (
Hsueh said she would resign if the bribery accusation was confirmed.
With the by-election for the DPP's chairperson taking place on Sunday, rumors and hate mail have been spreading with growing intensity among grassroots DPP members.
One rumor said that Chen Sheng-hung (陳勝宏), a member of the DPP's central standing committee, and Hsueh, his wife, have paid the annual party fees for employees of Sunny Bank (陽信銀行) -- which is run by the Chens -- and have asked their employees to vote for their favored candidate, Legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮), for chairperson.
Chen, who is also the convener of the Green Alliance, and Hsueh were also said to be attempting to influence the outcome of the by-election through voting-buying to secure their position in the DPP.
Hsueh and Chen were furious about the rumors and rushed to DPP headquarters yesterday at noon to protest.
"I think it is shameful for some people to blacken our names by spreading such a rumor," Hsueh said yesterday.
Later in the afternoon, when Lu walked out of the weekly central standing committee, Hsueh blocked her path and pleaded with the acting chairwoman to investigate the incident and find out who was behind the rumor.
Facing reporters' inquiries and Hsueh's pleas, Lu said that paying the annual fees of other members wasn't a problem, because to be eligible to vote in the by-election, members have to have paid their fees before Oct. 17 last year.
"Therefore, I do not think the recent rumor makes any sense," Lu said, asking Hsueh to offer an explanation.
"The DPP has adopted high moral standards in every election and I hope we take the same attitude in this by-election," Hsueh said. "If I have bought votes for Tsai or anyone, I will immediately resign from my position as a legislator-at-large."
At a news conference held after the central standing committee, DPP Secretary-General Lee Yi-yang (
"Although the DPP encourages party members to hand in their annual fees for themselves, it is not against party regulations for certain members to help other members retain their membership," Lee said.
On reforming the problem of so-called "nominal" party members -- meaning members whose memberships have been paid by other DPP members -- central standing committee member Cheng Po-ching (
Cheng's proposal obtained the support of some other members.
Meanwhile, Lu announced that party's new committee against corruption will start investigating four cases reported by the public but that the DPP will not publicize the process until the cases are closed.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
RSS