The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday remained tight-lipped about the venue for its party congress, despite confirmation from the Greater Taichung Government that the party has obtained a permit to hold an event at Taichung Stadium in Wuci (梧棲) on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10.
The time and venue for the KMT’s congress have been uncertain after the party canceled the event originally planned for Sept. 29 at National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall due to large-scale protests against President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who is also KMT chairman.
The Greater Taichung City Government confirmed on Monday that the KMT filed an application on Friday last week to use the stadium for a party event on Nov. 9 and Nov. 10, and the city government has granted the party the permit.
The KMT’s Taichung City branch also obtained permits to host rallies around the stadium from Nov. 7 to Nov. 11, and from Nov. 14 to Nov. 18.
Despite obtaining the permits for the stadium and adjacent roads, both the KMT and Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) of the KMT yesterday denied that the congress would be held at the stadium next month.
“The stadium is a public venue and anyone who follows the administrative procedures can rent the place. It is only one of the options for the venue of the party congress,” Hu said.
He said the city government has handled applications for the venue and adjacent roads in accordance with the regulations, adding that the city will enhance its police force to maintain security if any events are held.
KMT spokesman Yin Wei (殷瑋) said the party has not yet finalized the date and venue for the congress, and will announce the plan once confirmed.
The stadium is said to be a preferred venue option as the party held its congress at the venue in 2011.
The KMT also hopes to avoid large rallies by staying away from Taipei.
The KMT has sent part-time staff to obtain permits to use the road leading to Taipei’s Chungshan Hall in Yangmingshan on Nov. 1, to block any protests in the area should the party decide to hold its congress in the hall.
Civic groups have accused the KMT and Ma of failing to face public grievances about poor government performance, while some party members have urged Ma to resolve his dispute with Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) over improperly lobbying allegations.
Former KMT chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) said yesterday that party members are concerned about the political rift between Ma and Wang, and urged Wang to apply with the party’s Integrity Committee to retain his party membership.
“Wang is a KMT member forever. I hope he will be able to resolve the issue with the committee and the committee should handle the case without any interference,” Wu said.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS