The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday that it had collected 2.45 million signatures in the second phase of its petition on a referendum proposal seeking UN membership for Taiwan.
DPP Legislator Hsieh Hsin-ni (
The DPP needs to amass more than 800,000 signatures to make the referendum valid. Once the signatures have been validated by the commission, the referendum would be held in conjunction with the presidential election on March 22.
While the DPP proposed joining the UN using the name "Taiwan," the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has suggested using the nation's official title, "Republic of China," or any other "practical" title that would uphold the country's dignity, to "return" to the UN.
Meanwhile, more than 1,000 people joined the DPP yesterday, including 86-year-old grandmother Huang Po-yun (黃波雲).
With President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen said the DPP did not have the massive amount of party assets the KMT had, nor did it have any spoils to divide between members.
"Your decision to join the DPP today stems from identification with the party's founding spirt and ideas. It is not a trade-off of interests," Chen said.
The president said he was glad the DPP had garnered more than 1 million signatures for its referendum petition since he took over as party chairman on Oct. 17.
"There is only one Taiwan," Chen said. "It is yours, mine, the DPP's and that of the 23 million people of Taiwan. As long as you identify with this land and the nation, everybody has the responsibility to protect Taiwan, its sovereignty, dignity and safety, regardless of your political party, ethnic group or career."
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
PLANNED: The suspect visited the crime scene before the killings, seeking information on how to access the roof, and had extensively researched a 2014 stabbing incident The suspect in a stabbing attack that killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei on Friday had planned the assault and set fires at other locations earlier in the day, law enforcement officials said yesterday. National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said the suspect, a 27-year-old man named Chang Wen (張文), began the attacks at 3:40pm, first setting off smoke bombs on a road, damaging cars and motorbikes. Earlier, Chang Wen set fire to a rental room where he was staying on Gongyuan Road in Zhongzheng District (中正), Chang Jung-hsin said. The suspect later threw smoke grenades near two exits
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
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