Ellen Huang (黃越綏), a strong proponent of Taiwanese independence who advocated self-determination and founding a nation through a referendum as part of her presidential bid, announced yesterday that she was dropping out of the race.
Huang’s decision was seen as an expression of goodwill toward Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) presidential bid.
However, the Taiwanese National Party, another pro-independence group, announced in the afternoon that its founder, Chang Mung-hsieh (莊孟學), would enter the race.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Huang’s unexpected decision and Chuang’s entry into the race have drawn attention, but it is said that Chang and Tsai would work toward the same goal although their approach might be different.
Taiwanese National Party founding chairman Huang Hua (黃華) said the party’s decision to nominate Chang would not affect Tsai’s chances in the election, because they would only advocate the foundation of an independent Taiwan as a nation in the election process.
“We will say what is inappropriate for Tsai to say,” Huang Hua said, adding that they would support Tsai for president.
Ellen Huang’s campaign office spokesperson, Chang Ming-yu (張銘祐), said her decision was indicative of consolidation within the pro-independence groups and an expression of goodwill to Tsai.
“The process of collecting signatures to join the election was for the purpose of emphasizing self-determination and founding a nation through referendum,” Chang said.
Accompanied by several senior independence proponents, Peng Ming-min (彭明敏) and Su Beng (史明), Ellen Huang held a press conference where the more than 100,000 signatures collected for her sake were unveiled.
She reaffirmed the concept of self-determination and the founding of a nation through referendum.
Huang Hua said Chuang was a former education section chief at the Lee Teng-Hui Academy, adding that it was the party’s view that a candidate who supports the founding of an independent nation must join the election.
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
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS