The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday elected 32 Central Standing Committee (CSC) members, calling back several former members who had their election status revoked last year because of bribery claims.
Lee Chuan-chiao (李全教), one of those who lost his election status as a CSC member last year because of election bribery, received 1,079 votes and topped the election list.
He had denied the bribery accusations and filed a lawsuit against the KMT last year for annulling his election status, and won the lawsuit earlier this year.
PHOTO: CNA
Lee will take over as a KMT legislator once the KMT revokes the party membership of former KMT legislator Hsu Shu-po (許舒博), who was found guilty earlier this month in a second trial of accepting bribes from the National Chinese Herbal Apothecary Association.
Yao Jiang-lin (姚江臨), who was one of 12 former CSC members whose election status were revoked by the KMT last year, received the third-highest number of votes with 1,040.
Two other former CSC members whose election status was revoked, Hsu Sen-rong (許顯榮) and Chen Wen-han (陳文漢), were also elected yesterday.
The majority of CSC members are KMT lawmakers, as a total of 13 KMT legislators, including Chiu Yi (邱毅), Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) and Hou Tsai-feng (侯彩鳳), won seats in the election yesterday.
KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇), a long-term aide to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), failed to secure a seat in yesterday’s election.
KMT’s Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Huang Chao-hsun (黃昭順) and Sean Lien (連勝文), son of former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰), did not seek re-election this year.
In his capacity as KMT chairman, Ma yesterday cast a vote in the CSC election and said the vicious tradition of bribery in CSC elections had abated in this year’s election.
Seeking to eliminate the bribery tradition and improve the image of the party, the KMT tightened regulations on CSC election campaigns in May and banned all kinds of bribery, including hosting banquets and sending gifts. Candidates who violate the regulations face losing their party membership.
Director of the KMT’s Evaluation and Discipline Committee Juan Kang-meng (阮剛猛) said the committee found that no candidates were involved in bribing party delegates in this year’s election campaign.
The CSC is the highest decision-making body in the KMT, and its 32 members meet every Wednesday to approve major policies. However, the committee’s role was weakened after Ma was first elected party chairman in 2005 and began meeting with party officials to discuss major decisions in a separate weekly meeting.
All members will formally assume the positions next Wednesday.
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
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
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS