Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲) said yesterday that former president Lee Teng-hsui (
"We visited former president Lee [on Friday]. He said Hsieh is bound to win and asked the alumni of the Lee Teng-hui School to put their efforts into getting Hsieh elected," said Twu, who is also the executive director of the alumni association of the political academy founded by Lee.
The press conference was held to announce the group's support for Hsieh.
"Lee was very much in favor of our coming out to support Hsieh," Twu said.
Lee has yet to come forward in person and say which of the two candidates he favors.
However, in an interview with Japanese writer Yusuke Fukada, which was published in the current issue of a Japanese monthly, Lee said that Taiwan's democracy would be set back 20 years if Hsieh lost the election.
However, if Hsieh manages to rouse himself and catch up with Ma, the old forces of the two parties would perish and be replaced by new blood, Lee was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, Taiwan Thinktank chairman Chen Po-chih (
"Only when two countries have similar economic status will free movement of production factors not hurt public interest," he said. "In the case of Taiwan and China, a free flow of labor in a common market will turn Taiwan into a refugee camp."
Chen said Chinese labor would be allowed to enter the country about three years after a common market is set up, in accordance with international practices, rebutting the promise made by Ma that he would never open up Taiwan to Chinese workers if elected.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”