On behalf of her husband, former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), former first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) yesterday urged judicial authorities to grant Chen a release from prison for medical treatment.
Wu, who is subject to house arrest during her 17-and-a-half-year prison sentence because of bad health, said she did not rule out organizing a protest against President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) if the release were not granted.
Wu, who lives in Greater Kaohsiung, visited Chen, who is also serving a 17-and-a-half-year prison sentence for corruption, at Taipei Prison yesterday. She said Chen’s deteriorating health was worrisome.
Wu said Chen appeared to have been suffering from exhaustion and liver problems since he was granted a release to go to the funeral of Wu’s mother in Tainan in January.
Noting the poor health of his mother and aging grandmother, who is 85 years old, the former president’s son, Chen Chih-chung (陳致中), said he would file a request to have Chen Shui-bian relocated to a prison in southern Taiwan so that it would be more convenient for his family to visit.
In related news yesterday, the former president wrote in his column published in a weekly magazine that former DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) needed to take a hard look at her election loss.
The Jan. 14 presidential election was “winnable” for Tsai as early as eight months before the election and as late as two months before polling day, he said, adding that “everything the DPP had expected to happen, did not happen,” including its vote-share simulation, mobilization and the impact of its slogan: “Hakka girl for president.”
The DPP has been trying to appeal to swing voters, but “history has shown that mobilizing the DPP’s core support is the winning formula,” he said.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3
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