Singer-turned-Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Yu Tian (余天) is counting on support from fellow entertainers to continue his legislative career.
After media speculation that the party would not include the popular folk singer on its roster of -legislators-at-large, supporters yesterday took out half-page advertisements in popular newspapers.
Signed by TV hosts Chang Fei (張菲), Hu Gua (胡瓜), singer Lotus Wang (王彩樺) and 30 other television entertainers, the statement called on the DPP to ensure that the folk singer was nominated next year.
The New Taipei City (新北市) legislator “is the only lawmaker that represents the arts and entertainment industry,” the statement read. “Nominating Yu as a legislator-at-large would showcase the DPP’s support of and dedication to local culture.”
According to media reports, Yu could be the first high-profile casualty of the DPP’s roster of -legislators-at-large, who will be elected based on the proportion of the party’s vote in January’s election.
Yesterday was the final day of internal party discussions regarding the list before it was set to be approved this afternoon.
Yu was passed up by a party nomination for the seat in the pan-green stronghold of Sanchong District (三重), where he won in 2008, in favor of DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) as it was thought that Yu would face a tough re-election bid.
However, with only 16 or 17 places on the legislator-at-large roster considered by party officials to be “safe” — as the DPP only elected 14 legislators-at-large in 2008 — there has been increasing concern among DPP leaders on how to avoid a showdown between factions within the party that are vying for a share of the nominations.
DPP officials, led by party Chairperson and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), expect to unveil the roster this afternoon after it is approved by a DPP committee.
When asked about whether Yu had been taken off the list, Tsai yesterday said that “currently, no one has been ruled out and no one is considered safe.”
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS