The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Central Standing Committee is willing to consider revising the party’s charter to automatically give the post of party chairman to the nation’s president if the KMT holds the presidency because this would allow the smooth integration of party and government policies, KMT Cultural and Communications Committee deputy head Yin Wei (殷瑋) said yesterday.
Yin’s comments followed reports by local media that soon after being re-elected as party chairman on Saturday, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) — who ran unopposed — moved to amend the KMT’s charter to bind the party chairmanship to the office of president.
The move would mean that if the KMT wins the presidential election in 2016, Ma would have to step down as party chairman to make way for the new president.
Sources within the party said that proposals to amend the charter can only be made during the party’s national congress, and since there was still a long way to go before the next convention, it is unlikely that the matter will be decided any time soon.
Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) said he had always supported the idea that under a KMT government, the president should double as the party chairman to better integrate the policies of the party with those of the central government.
Commenting on the high percentage of the party electorate — close to 90 percent — that voted for Ma in the chairmanship election, Hu said the party should be encouraged by the KMT still being united behind the president despite the tough political climate.
Hu said he supported the amendment to the charter, adding that it would bring about greater efficiency in the central government, as well as benefitting both the nation and the party.
However, the Greater Taichung mayor also cautioned that the party should not let the euphoria of the KMT election go to its head.
Ma’s biggest problem since being sworn into office in 2008 has been his inability to raise his approval ratings among the public, Hu said, adding that the party still has a long way to go to win popular support.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
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