The legal system will determine whether a controversial Chinese-language weekly newspaper is illegally undermining the campaign of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) said yesterday.
"The Executive Yuan is in favor of handling the matter in accordance with the law, but respects the prosecutor's decision and action in the legal proceedings," Chang said on the legislative floor.
KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇) had asked the government to confiscate copies of Taiwan Weekly, which has published a series of unsubstantiated accusations against leading KMT figures and their family members, and probe the newspaper's publisher.
PHOTO: CNA
Wu accused the publishers of violating Article 104 of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), which states that people who spread inaccurate information to undermine candidates may be sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison, Wu said.
Copy in the latest edition of the publication states that more than 150,000 free copies have been distributed since it was launched on Feb. 29.
In its first issue, the weekly claimed that KMT vice presidential candidate Vincent Siew (
Both Siew and Chow have denied the charges and taken legal action.
Minister of Justice Morley Shih (施茂林) said yesterday he would refer the case to the state public prosecutor-general.
Nevertheless, KMT Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) criticized the Government Information Office (GIO) for failing to record and verify the identity and address of Taiwan Weekly's publisher.
In response, a GIO official who wished to remain anonymous said that, since the Publication Act (出版法) was abolished in 1999, people are free to issue a publication without registering with the office.
The KMT caucus also accused Central News Agency (CNA), the state-sponsored news agency, of being involved in the production of Taiwan Weekly because the publication carried photos provided by CNA.
Later yesterday, CNA issued a statement saying that the photos, 13 in total, were purchased by a group named "Tai-wen Magazine Club" for NT$15,120.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued late on Wednesday night, Ma accused his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rival, Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), of planning to attack his late father.
"My rival's campaign team has attacked my wife and my daughters recently, and I've heard that my late father will be the next target of their smear campaign," Ma said in the statement.
"As a son, I am asking my rival to allow my late father to rest in peace. I urge Hsieh's campaign team to focus on public policies because these issues are what the public care about," it said,
Ma said in the statement that his late father was not a perfect person, but his past should be buried with his ashes, rather than being dug up, distorted and exaggerated by his rival or the media.
Ma's father Ma Ho-ling (
Ma spokesman Luo Chih-chiang (
Hsieh spokesman Chao Tien-lin (
"How does Ma Ying-jeou know what the newspaper is going to publish? Are he or his aides present at editorial meetings with the newspaper's staff?" Chao asked.
At a separate setting yesterday, Hsieh said he was occupied with criticizing his rival's "one China" market proposal and saw no need to change the focus of his attack.
"It is [my] opponent who wishes to change the subject, so it is obvious who is benefitting from the Taiwan Weekly controversy," Hsieh said.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) hosted a dinner in Taipei last night with key Taiwanese suppliers to celebrate the successful mass production of the company’s new Blackwell AI systems. Speaking to the media earlier yesterday, Huang thanked Nvidia’s Taiwanese partners for their contributions to the company’s ecosystem, while also sharing his plans to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀). In response to rumors that Nvidia will launch a downgraded Hopper H20 chip for China in July, Huang dismissed the reports, saying, “That is not true.” He clarified that there
RSS