The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday confirmed that deposed KMT legislator Chang Sho-wen’s (張碩文) father had requested a registration form to run in the Yunlin County by-election, but declined to say whether he was qualified to do so.
Chang Sho-wen, who won a regional legislative election in Yunlin County in January last year, lost his seat earlier this month after the High Court found him guilty of participating in a vote-buying scheme organized by his father, Chang Hui-yuan (張輝元), and annulled the election result.
Chang Hui-yuan, the head of a local irrigation association, picked up a registration form at the KMT’s Yunlin branch on Wednesday, seeking to represent the party in the by-election.
When asked about his vote-buying case, Chang Hui-yuan said he had appealed the case and believed that the court would find him innocent.
KMT Organization and Development Committee director Huang Chao-yuan (黃昭元) said Chang Hui-yuan has not completed the registration procedure, but declined to say whether he would be qualified to represent the party given that he was found guilty at the first trial.
The revised version of the KMT’s “black gold exclusion clause” (排黑條款) states that members who are found guilty of corruption at their initial trial are not to be nominated in any elections.
The party also has the authority to deny any member’s application to run in an election if it finds that the individual would damage the party’s reputation.
KMT Yunlin branch director Hsu Shu-po (許舒博) said Chang Hui-yuan should not be restricted from running in the election because the party revised the clause in November last year, while Chang Hui-yuan was found guilty in October.
Huang said those who have claimed registration forms should register with the party by tomorrow to complete the registration process.
The KMT is scheduled to complete the nomination process on July 29.
Chang Hui-yuan is the only person so far to request a registration form, Huang said, adding that the party would not rule out canceling the primary in favor of nominating a candidate directly.
The Democratic Progressive Party has nominated Yunlin County Councilor Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) to run in the by-election. The by-election is scheduled for October.
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
Reports of Taiwanese going missing, being detained or interrogated, or having their personal liberties restricted in China increased about fourfold annually last year, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Last year, 221 Taiwanese who traveled to China were reported missing, were detained and interrogated, or otherwise had their personal freedom restricted, up from 55 the previous year, the council said. Reopening group tours to China would be risky, as it would leave travelers with no way to seek help through official channels after Beijing shut down dialogue between the associations tasked with handling cross-strait tourism, the MAC said. Taipei’s Taiwan Strait Tourism
RSS