A report by the Control Yuan released yesterday provides support for a government plan to hold next year’s presidential election in combination with the legislative election and to also introduce absentee voting in those elections.
The report, a review on the high frequency of elections and the lack of a method for absentee voting — two longstanding issues that remain unresolved — called on the government to finalize the policies and put them into effect as soon as possible.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is in favor of merging the two elections by bring the presidential election, scheduled for March, forward to take place at the same time as the legislative election, which could be held in January.
However, the Central Election Commission has yet to make a decision on the matter.
By law, holding the presidential election with the legislative election is not prohibited, said the report, authored by -Control Yuan members Lee Ping-nan (李炳南) and Chou Yang-shan (周陽山).
The Control Yuan said the government should push for a merger of the elections because the measure has support from a majority of the public.
It also urged the government to accelerate the introduction of an absentee voting system to “fully protect” the public’s right to vote.
The report said the system should be implemented in time for next year’s elections.
Ninety-six countries — including the US, the UK, France, Australia, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines — utilize a form of absentee voting, which in Taiwan has been stalled for years amid political gridlock, the report said.
While not opposing the idea of merging the elections and the introduction of absent voting, the Democratic Progressive Party has expressed reservations about the two initiatives being applied next year, saying the purpose of the changes could be a political ploy to favor the KMT.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
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Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
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