The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday opened a center dedicated to fighting vote-buying ahead of the legislative and presidential elections.
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who doubles as the party's chairman, called on the public to inform the center of any suspected vote-buying by calling the number (02) 2392-9989, extension numbers 382 to 388.
Chen led staff at the center in chanting "With clean elections the whole country wins."
The DPP's Central Standing Committee resolved on Nov. 12 to form a task force chaired by Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) to combat vote-buying.
Lu, however, did not show up at yesterday's event, which followed on the heels of two media reports about her.
In one report, one of Lu's bodyguards allegedly photographed a Presidential Office staffer in the bathroom. In the other report, Lu was accused of having close ties with the owner of a holiday resort in Ilan County.
Lu's office issued a statement yesterday rebutting allegations that she frequented the resort and saying that Lu -- who also serves as the leader of a national tourism alliance -- works hard at promoting tourist attractions across the country and does not play favorites.
The report, which was published in the latest issue of the Chinese-language Next magazine, said that Lu associated with the owner of the resort, Gao Jien-wen (高建文), who was convicted of an illegal land deal.
Lu's office said the vice president was unaware of Gao's personal affairs.
Meanwhile, concerning the launch of the center, a DPP Central Standing Committee member expressed concern over the affect vote-buying could have on the election outcome.
"It is like two men fighting in a cage. Neither can afford to lose and both will do whatever it takes to win," said the committee member, who wished to remain anonymous. "We are worried that the lower the turnout rate, the more rampant the vote-buying will be."
Meanwhile, Jou Yi-cheng (
Jou, a former DPP member, said he had heard that his DPP rival for a legislative seat, Wang Shih-cheng (
Jou also called his KMT rival, Justin Chou (
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
RSS