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.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
RSS