Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (
The move came one day after Ma had promised to cast referendum ballots to support the KMT's referendums.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
"It doesn't matter whether we have different views on the issue. A political party is an organization formed by various people with varying views and it's impossible for party members to agree on everything," Ma said yesterday after visiting an author in Taipei.
Ma said he met with Wu on Monday to discuss the issue and agreed that boycotting the referendums would match the wishes of KMT supporters, as local party branches have been calling for such a move.
Ma said his party was determined to fight corruption and push for the nation's re-entry into the UN, but the DPP and Central Election Commission (CEC) left the KMT with no choice but to boycott the referendums.
The DPP has used the CEC to manipulate the situation, he said, adding that the KMT must boycott the referendums to avoid being used as an election tool.
Ma made similar comments earlier yesterday in a New Year's speech and pledged to host the Jan. 1 flag-raising ceremony in front of the Presidential Office next year.
Meanwhile, Cabinet Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (
Shieh made the remarks after Hsiao Chia-chi (
Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) on Monday decided to replace Hsiao and Chairman of Taipei County Election Commission Teng Min-chih (鄧民治).
Shieh said Hsiao and Teng had been transferred because they had not responded to an Executive Yuan inquiry on whether they would follow one-step voting.
The Executive Yuan removed Samuel Wu (
Wu, who initially refused to obey the order, said on Monday that he would temporarily hand over his post by taking a leave of absence starting today.
Shieh said regardless of whether Wu takes a leave of absence, he has been relieved of his post.
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
POLAM KOPITIAM CASE: Of the two people still in hospital, one has undergone a liver transplant and is improving, while the other is being evaluated for a liver transplant A fourth person has died from bongkrek acid poisoning linked to the Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) restaurant in Taipei’s Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday, as two other people remain seriously ill in hospital. The first death was reported on March 24. The man had been 39 years old and had eaten at the restaurant on March 22. As more cases of suspected food poisoning involving people who had eaten at the restaurant were reported by hospitals on March 26, the ministry and the Taipei Department of Health launched an investigation. The Food and
The long-awaited Taichung aquarium is expected to open next year after more than a decade of development. The building in Cingshui District (清水) is to feature a large ocean aquarium on the first floor, coral display area on the second floor, a jellyfish tank and Dajia River (大甲溪) basin display on the third, a river estuary display and restaurant on the fourth, and a cafe and garden on the fifth. As it is near Wuci Fishing Port (梧棲漁港), many are expecting the opening of the aquarium to bring more tourism to the harbor. Speaking at the city council on Monday, Taichung City Councilor
A fourth person has died in a food poisoning outbreak linked to the Xinyi (信義) branch of Malaysian restaurant chain Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in Taipei, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Victor Wang (王必勝) said on Monday. It was the second fatality in three days, after another was announced on Saturday. The 40-year-old woman experienced multiple organ failure in the early hours on Monday, and the family decided not to undergo emergency resuscitation, Wang said. She initially showed signs of improvement after seeking medical treatment for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but her condition worsened due to an infection, he said. Two others who
Taiwanese should be mindful when visiting China, as Beijing in July is likely to tighten the implementation of policies on national security following the introduction of two regulations, a researcher said on Saturday. China on Friday unveiled the regulations governing the law enforcement and judicial activities of national security agencies. They would help crack down on “illegal” and “criminal” activities that Beijing considers to be endangering national security, according to reports by China’s state media. The definition of what constitutes a national security threat in China is vague, Taiwan Thinktank researcher Wu Se-chih (吳瑟致) said. The two procedural regulations are to provide Chinese