Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) legislators Yin Ling-ying (
Yin told reporters before the TSU's Central Executive Committee convened yesterday that she would withdraw from the party if it failed to reinstate the memberships of Liao Pen-yen (
The TSU expelled Liao and Huang Chung-yung last Monday, saying the pair had been "uncooperative" and had failed to toe the party line.
PHOTO: LO PEI-DER, TAIPEI TIMES
David Huang, meanwhile, said he would make a decision on his membership once TSU Chairman Huang Kun-huei (
Huang Kun-huei is a former KMT member.
David Huang also asked Huang Kun-huei to explain why he had made an all-out effort to undermine cooperation between the party and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and to state whether he wanted the party to lean toward the KMT.
The TSU and the DPP have agreed to cooperate in January's legislative elctions.
The TSU's Central Executive Committee yesterday resolved to admonish Yin and David Huang. The committee agreed to revoke the pair's candidacies if they continue to make remarks detrimental to the party and to expel them if such a move proves necessary.
The committee yesterday also verified the expulsions of Liao Pen-yen and Huang Chung-yung.
TSU Legislator Lin Jih-jia (
Lin criticized the pair for their alleged close relationship with the DPP's disbanded New Tide faction and said Liao and Huang Chung-yun were too close to Vice Premier Chiou I-jen (
David Huang said on Saturday that he was confused by the dismissal of Liao and Huang Chung-yung and that he should be expelled too if being too close to DPP members was the reason behind the two men's expulsion.
Yin said at the time that if she won an opinion poll she would run as a DPP candidate in Yunlin County's second constituency. If she lost, she said she would be more than happy to serve as DPP candidate Liu Chien-kuo's (
Huang Kun-huei said yesterday that the party would not expel Yin and David Huang.
"If they do not identify with the party line, they are welcome to leave the party. We will not force them to leave, or ask them to stay," he said.
Huang Kun-huei said the party would monitor the legislators words and deeds and take "appropriate" action.
In related news, the DPP issued a statement yesterday afternoon saying that Tuan Yi-kang (
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
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious