Ending months of rumors, People First Party (PFP) Legislator Chang Show-foong (張曉風) resigned yesterday, dismissing speculation about possible reasons for her departure, but declined to give her own side of the story.
At a press conference, the legislator-at-large read out a statement saying that she had only one thing to say about her resignation, which was: “I quit, a simple subject followed by a simple verb.”
According to speculation, Chang could have resigned for various reasons. Some have suggested she resigned because she did not “fit” into the legislature, that she was “kidnapped” by environmental groups or that she was impatient with inefficiency in the legislative process.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
There was also a rumor that Chang was forced by the PFP to give her seat to Chen Yi-chieh (陳怡潔), an assistant professor of business management, to allow Chen to gain political experience in preparation for city council elections next year.
Chen Yi-chieh is the daughter of Independent Taipei City Councilor Chen Cheng-chung (陳政忠).
Whatever people have said about her, Chang said she will “let pass.”
Asked if she resigned of her own free will, Chang said a forced resignation was not possible.
A well-known writer, Chang in 2010 surprised many by kneeling in front of TV cameras to protest government’s plan to convert the Ministry of National Defense’s 202 Munitions Works into a biotech research park operated by Academic Sinica, a project which she said could jeopardize wetland ecology.
Chang said she would continue to push for legislation to protect the nation’s wetlands while remaining a legislative assistant and would also attend to other issues related to environment and culture in the party.
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