Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Luo Wen-jia (
Luo, who originally revealed on his Web log that he was interested in running for the legislature in Taipei's Da-an District (
The constituency has traditionally been a stronghold of the pan-blue alliance led by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
Luo said this was the first time his wife felt so strongly that he should not run in an election.
Luo said he had stuck by the DPP over the years because he never lost hope in the party and believes that the DPP is better than the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
Luo's wife, Liu Chao-yi (
Liu said that she and her husband "might as well live separate lives" if Luo decides to run.
She dismissed speculation that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) hand-picked her husband to run in the tough constituency. She also rejected claims that she and Luo were pretending to be at odds in order to manipulate public opinion.
Luo, considered a maverick within the party for his outspokeness, failed to secure a nomination for the legislative elections mainly because of a grass-roots campaign against him and 10 other incumbent or former DPP legislators.
The campaign, led by a radio show, branded them the "11 bandits" and called for voters to boycott them during the legislative primaries earlier this year. It also branded them "traitors to Taiwan" for criticizing DPP policies.
Chen, who invited Luo to replace Kao Chia-yu (
Chen made the remarks as he left a Central Executive Committee meeting, which he chaired in his capacity as party chairman.
DPP legislative caucus whip Wang Tuoh (
"I believe that an apology to Luo is necessary," Wang said when approached for comment yesterday morning.
Wang said the president's invitation to Luo should be regarded as a confirmation of Luo's qualifications. He said it was appropriate compensation for what the party had put Luo through.
"I think the DPP should also apologize to the others who were labeled `bandits,'" Wang said.
Meanwhile, the Central Executive Committee yesterday agreed that Kao could withdraw from the election. The committee also approved the withdrawals of two other legislative candidates, Chen Yu-jen (
The committee also agreed to nominate former DPP legislator Chiu Chuang-liang (邱創良) to stand for election in Taoyuan County's sixth constituency.
In addition, it removed four nominees from four constituencies to pave the way for cooperation with the Taiwan Solidarity Union.
Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
RSS