Chances for a closed-door deal on which candidate would represent the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in next year’s presidential election seemed slim yesterday after a negotiation deadline expired.
Although the party was scheduled to hold a negotiation session, none of the candidates — Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and Hsu Hsin-liang (許信良) — had shown any desire to back out of the race, meaning that the window of opportunity to avoid an internal battle has now closed.
While informal negotiations will likely continue, the candidates will no longer be able to receive a partial refund of the NT$5 million (US$172,000) registration fee paid to the DPP as part of their bid.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
HEATED CONTEST
Tsai, who has temporarily stepped down as DPP chairperson, and Su, a former premier, have been closely matched in recent polls, leading many party officials to question whether an eleventh-hour deal could be reached before the telephone polls, which will be used to decide the primary, begin on April 25.
Hsu, another former DPP chairman, has been trailing far behind in the polls, but has given no indication that he plans to drop out of the race.
“Although the scheduled discussions have ended, the primary and the upcoming televised appearances will progress on schedule,” DPP spokesperson Lin Yu-chang (林佑昌) said.
The DPP plans to hold four televised appearances, during which the three candidates will be given a chance to present their election platforms. They will also answer questions by representatives of civic organizations and academics.
TV SCHEDULE
The sessions will be held on Saturday, April 13, April 16 and April 20, and will be broadcast on cable news stations FTV News, ETTV, Era News and SET TV respectively.
The primary is expected to wrap up on May 4, after the telephone polls conclude on April 29.
Taiwan is to commence mass production of the Tien Kung (天弓, “Sky Bow”) III, IV and V missiles by the second quarter of this year if the legislature approves the government’s NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.78 billion) special defense budget, an official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, a defense official with knowledge of the matter said that the advanced systems are expected to provide crucial capabilities against ballistic and cruise missiles for the proposed “T-Dome,” an advanced, multi-layered air defense network. The Tien Kung III is an air defense missile with a maximum interception altitude of 35km. The Tien Kung IV and V
The disruption of 941 flights in and out of Taiwan due to China’s large-scale military exercises was no accident, but rather the result of a “quasi-blockade” used to simulate creating the air and sea routes needed for an amphibious landing, a military expert said. The disruptions occurred on Tuesday and lasted about 10 hours as China conducted live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said the exercises affected 857 international flights and 84 domestic flights, affecting more than 100,000 travelers. Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), a research fellow at the government-sponsored Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the air
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
RSS