Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday called for an end to the controversy surrounding a farmhouse owned by the wife of her presidential election running mate, Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), saying the case should be dealt with from a legal point of view.
Speaking at a presidential campaign stop in Chiayi, Tsai said the public discussions of the allegedly illegally built farmhouse had been blown out of proportion and violated the privacy of those involved.
Su has promised to deal with the farmhouse according to the law and some of the criticism has been overblown, she said.
Since Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) launched a series of attacks on Su and his family over the farmhouse and other alleged acts of misconduct last month, the controversy has clouded the Tsai campaign and shifted attention away from her 11-day campaign trip up the west coast.
Some DPP members have made public comments against Su, advising him to donate or dismantle the farmhouse and even divorce his wife, Hung Heng-chu (洪恆珠), the registered owner of the farmhouse, to keep the controversy from jeopardizing the DPP’s presidential campaign.
Others, including Su’s assistant Kuo Wen-bin (郭文彬), who described the incident as a “mudslinging political attack,” support the vice-presidential candidate’s decision to handle the issue in accordance with the law.
Su said in Nantou County yesterday that he would deal with the farmhouse as the law stipulates, since he had applied for a joint inspection by the Council of Agriculture and the Pingtung County Government.
The two government entities have been drawn into the controversy, as the council has been accused by the DPP for being vague on the matter and favoring the KMT, while the Pingtung County Government has been criticized by the KMT for “covering up” Su’s “illegal” act.
Following a second inspection, the Pingtung County Government reaffirmed to the council yesterday that the farmhouse was legal.
Meanwhile, Council Minister Chen Wu-hsiung (陳武雄) said in a legislative session that the house’s status of legality should be within the jurisdiction of the Pingtung County Government.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
Chinese embassy staffers attempted to interrupt an award ceremony of an international tea competition in France when the organizer introduced Taiwan and displayed the Republic of China flag, a Taiwanese tea farmer said in an interview published today. Hsieh Chung-lin (謝忠霖), chief executive of Juxin Tea Factory from Taichung's Lishan (梨山) area, on Dec. 2 attended the Teas of the World International Contest held at the Peruvian embassy in Paris. Hsieh was awarded a special prize for his Huagang Snow Source Tea by the nonprofit Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA). During the ceremony, two Chinese embassy staffers in attendance
RSS