The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday threatened to challenge the Cabinet in court if it proceeds with a plan to spend more than NT$260 million (US$8 million) on advertising government policies without following proper procedures.
KMT caucus whip Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) condemned the government for "wasting" time and money by advertising its policies, and accused the Cabinet of buying advertising time to campaign for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Frank Hsieh (謝長廷).
"All of the advertisements will be used to campaign for the presidential election ? It would be much better if the government donated the money to poor families," Kuo said.
At a separate setting, Cabinet Spokesman Shieh Jhy-wey (
WORKING HARD
The Cabinet was working hard and there was nothing wrong with letting the public know about the government's policies, Shieh said.
Shieh, who is also the Goverment Information Office (GIO) minister, said the Cabinet's decision to adopt a centralized procurement approach with the GIO in charge would ensure that advertising was better coordinated.
"The sum of money was allocated for the whole year and not just a few months. The GIO did not ask government departments to allocate their advertising budgets to the GIO," he said.
Meanwhile, Kuo, together with KMT Legislator Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑), also questioned the source of Hsieh's assets, saying he should look at himself before questioning KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) integrity.
Kuo said Hsieh's property holdings increased by more than NT$8 million in 2003 and again by NT$3 million in 2004. The legislator said Hsieh had purchased a house valued at more than NT$10 million.
INVESTMENTS
Kuo said Hsieh should also explain his wife Yu Fang-chih's (
Ma spokesman Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) has also raised questions about Yu, urging Hsieh to explain why Yu is known as "Putaichih" (布袋枝).
The nickname implies that Yu carries a sack full of loot.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SHIH HSIU-CHUAN
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
LIKE-MINDED COUNTRIES: Despite the threats from outside, Taiwan and Lithuania thrived and developed their economies, former president Tsai Ing-wen said Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Saturday thanked Lithuania for its support of Taiwan, saying that both countries are united as partners in defending democracy. Speaking at a reception organized by the Lithuania-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group welcoming her on her first visit to the Baltic state, Tsai said that while she was president from 2016 to last year, many Lithuanian “friends” visited Taiwan. “And I told myself I have to be here. I am very happy that I am here, a wonderful country and wonderful people,” Tsai said. Taiwan and Lithuania are in similar situations as both are neighbors to authoritarian countries, she
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is to visit the UK during her ongoing European trip, which originally included only Lithuania and Denmark, her office said today. Tsai departed Taiwan for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark, marking her second visit to the continent since her two-term presidency ended in May last year. Her office issued a statement today saying that Tsai would also visit the UK "for a few days," during which she is to meet with UK politicians and Taiwanese professionals, and visit academic and research institutions. Following Tsai's stop in Denmark, she is to visit the
RSS