Angered by Taipei mayoral candidate Clara Chou's (
"Chou's campaign platform does not conform with the TSU's image and is not acceptable to our supporters. She caused damage to party unity and the TSU would have to be disbanded if we failed to act on this matter," TSU Chairman Shu Chin-chiang (
Shu made the remarks following a two-hour impromptu Central Executive Committee meeting held yesterday afternoon.
PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FONG, TAIPEI TIMES
Since the inception of her mayoral campaign, Chou has faced criticism from TSU members and pan-green supporters for her continuous attacks on Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei mayoral candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷).
She later announced that she would support the recall motion against the president after her party had decided not to.
Shu said yesterday all committee members had agreed to cancel Chou's membership and the party would not be responsible for her comments or conduct in the future.
"Chou doesn't understand the TSU well enough and has continued to damage the party despite our efforts to communicate with her ?To protect the party's image, we have no choice but to revoke her membership," he added.
When asked whether the TSU would support Hsieh from now on, Shu said the party would allow its supporters to decide which candidate they should support.
Shrugging off the party's decision, Chou said yesterday that she would continue to support the third recall motion, a decision she argued is based on TSU principals and the beliefs of former president Lee Teng-hui (
"I support the third recall motion and insist on distancing myself from the corrupt DPP no matter what ... I followed Lee Teng-hui's course and chose to stand by integrity and localism," she said.
Insisting that she would not make any concessions, Chou further accused President Chen Shui-bian (
"I love the TSU, but I love truth and my conscience more. I can't just sit and watch the party being hijacked and cheated by President Chen," Chou said, adding that she would not withdraw from the election.
When asked if she had informed Lee about the situation, Chou said she had chosen not to bother the former president.
Shu said the party had not discussed the matter with Lee either.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
Instead of threatening tariffs on Taiwan-made chips, the US should try to reinforce cooperation with Taiwan on semiconductor development to take on challenges from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a Taiwanese think tank said. The administration of US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose across-the-board import duties of 32 percent on Taiwan-made goods and levy a separate tariff on semiconductors, which Taiwan is hoping to avoid. The Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET), a National Science and Technology Council think tank, said that US efforts should focus on containing China’s semiconductor rise rather than impairing Taiwan. “Without
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
RSS