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.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
Democratic Progressive Party caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu, front, grabs the pennant in a dragon boat race hosted by Qu Yuan Temple in the Shuanghsi River in Taipei’s Beitou District yesterday.
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