The leader of the anti-President Chen Shui-bian (
Shih Ming-teh (
"Political leaders do not need to worry about me," Shih said at a press conference held at The Mayor's Residence Art Salon. "No one has the right to reap what the people have sown. It's the people's moment."
Regarding the recent speculation about a possible change in the political system amid the ongoing sit-in, Shih said that such development showed that "people power" was finally having an effect through the protests.
"I had said that `people power' will lead to political negotiations," he said. "Standing with the people, I will be watching the conclusion of the consultations simply as an observer."
Shih also took the opportunity to deny rumors that he had met with former president Lee Teng-hui (
Asked whether he would accept the outcome of ongoing political negotiations, Shih said that it was too early to tell.
Shih has said that there is no "exit strategy" for the sit-in and that he will not call off the campaign unless the president steps down.
While repeating that he would not interfere with any political consultations, Shih expressed his support for a parliamentary system, because the current semi-presidential system had allowed Chen to abuse his power.
"I suggested to Chen in 2004 that he should adopt a parliamentary system, but he favors a presidential system," he said.
Meanwhile, the anti-Chen campaign yesterday announced that it will hold a large-scale rally on Sept. 30, which they hope will attract more than 300,000 protesters, according to Chan Che (
Details of the rally route have not yet been decided, Chang said.
The campaign will need to leave the Ketagalan Boulevard as of midnight Wednesday, when the area will be cleared through Oct. 12 for the preparation, celebration and cleanup from the Double Ten National Day ceremony.
The Taipei City Police Department said that it had approved the camp's application to hold events in front of the former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) headquarters on the east end of Ketagalan Boulevard next Thursday and Friday.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai