Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Yin Ling-ying (
As it stands, Yin and the DPP's Liu Chien-kuo (
"If I lose the poll, I will be more than happy to be Liu's campaign chief. If I win, I hope that our DPP friends will support me. If that is the case, I will join the DPP and run as a DPP candidate," Yin said.
PHOTO: LO PEI-DER, TAIPEI TIMES
Legislators Liao Pen-yen (廖本煙) and Huang Chung-yung (黃宗源), who were expelled from the TSU this week, also attended the press conference.
They said that the pan-green camp must unite or face a tough campaign.
Huang said he interpreted Yin's remarks as meaning that she wanted to run as a DPP candidate.
"To `coordinate' actually means joining the DPP. That is the only way to win," Huang said.
Yin's remarks sparked concern that other TSU legislators could leave the party for the DPP.
The TSU has said that Liao and Huang were expelled because they had stopped attending caucus meetings. It also accused Liao and Huang of being too close to Vice Premier Chiou I-jen (
TSU Legislator David Huang (
"If being too close to DPP members was the reason for expelling them, I think I should be expelled, too," he said.
Meanwhile, TSU legislative caucus whip Lo Chih-ming (羅志明) said he did not think Yin's comments would lead to her expulsion.
"We will end up with no members if we keeping expelling people," Lo said.
Lo said TSU Chairman Huang Kun-huei (
In response, DPP Culture and Information Department Director Hsieh Hsin-ni (謝欣霓) said that a poll would be a good way for the DPP and TSU to choose a single candidate. Hsieh said, however, that it was too early to say whether TSU candidates should join the DPP.
"We have to take into account how the TSU deals with candidates who lose to DPP members in polls," Hsieh said.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
RSS