Former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) yesterday confirmed that he would run for a spot on the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Central Standing Committee.
The move could give the one-time presidential candidate, who had vowed to back out of politics following his loss in the 2008 presidential election, more sway over an increasingly confident DPP heading into November’s special municipality elections.
Last month, a three day sit-in supporting a referendum on a proposed economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China planned by Hsieh, who currently heads the non-profit Taiwan Shadow Government, attracted the support of thousands.
Nominations for the DPP’s three committees — the Central Executive Committee, Central Standing Committee and Central Evaluation Committee — opened yesterday and will close on Friday.
On July 18, a full meeting of the DPP’s National Convention will elect 30 members for the executive committee and 11 members for the evaluation committee. Executive committee members will then conduct an internal vote and elect 10 standing committee members, which have the authority to decide on party policies and initiatives.
Both former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) and former premier Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃) are two other potential contenders for a spot on the decision-making body.
DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) said the standing committee would likely play an important part in the year-end elections, where the DPP is aiming to win at least three of the five mayoral seats.
Sources close to Lu did not confirm whether she would stand, despite an article in the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) yesterday that claimed the former vice president had already made her decision to run.
Yu, who is currently traveling in the US after his failed bid to be the DPP’s mayoral candidate in Sinbei City, could not be reached for comment.
In related news, DPP spokesperson Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said yesterday the party’s platform for the year-end elections would focus on local issues, instead of being defined by its views on an ECFA.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), who is running for re-election, said on Sunday that his DPP counterpart, former premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), owed Taipei residents an explanation on his attitude toward the ECFA, which the government wants to sign later this month.
Responding to his comments, Tsai Chi-chang accused Hau of “political pandering” and said he should instead be fighting an election battle based on his achievements as Taipei mayor over the past four years.
While the DPP would not rule out talking about the ECFA, it chose to fight the elections based on providing a “happy lifestyle,” the spokesperson added.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
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