Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) should address the issue of its stolen assets before lobbying for a parliamentary system, or the problem of uneven distribution or political resources will only continue to worsen
Lai, a member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said the KMT should reflect upon its crushing defeat at the nine-in-one elections last month by asking itself: “Should the KMT take on a more grassroots approach and become the ‘Taiwanese Nationalist Party?’”
In doing so, the KMT should address the issue of its improperly obtained assets, he said.
Lai made the comments in response to remarks by New Taipei City Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫), who is the sole contender for the KMT’s upcoming chairperson election, that the nation’s political system should be changed from a quasi-presidential system to a fully parliamentary system to ensure a clear distribution of administrative power.
Chu has not yet made clear his stance on the draft political party act, which includes provisions stipulating punishments for misconduct among political parties.
KMT lawmakers have blocked the act’s passage more than 200 times.
The KMT’s defeat in the nine-in-one elections is a crisis, Lai said, but it could also be a watershed moment for the party to embark on systematic reform, so that people might see it in a new light.
“If the KMT refuses to discuss the matter of its improperly obtained assets, it will only become more conservative and centralized, with only a handful of its members assuming political power,” Lai said.
“Only by turning over improperly gained assets to the Treasury will it have a chance to practice real democracy,” he said.
“Then its talent could be seen and heard, and it could reflect public opinion,” the Tainan mayor added.
He said the KMT has many items to be fixed and the issue of its assets is at the top of the list.
“If the parliamentary system is implemented hastily, the situation will only get worse, because there are no accompanying measures or plans to speak of,” he said.
Meanwhile, the DPP should remain humble and be prudent about how it is to perform well in the 13 cities and counties where it won elections, Lai said.
“I believe now is an introspective moment for ruling and opposing parties alike. The DPP should think about how to live up to people’s expectations, and the KMT should take off ‘the ring’ and return its assets to the public,” Lai said.
“Both parties should put their priorities in perspective. These reflections are more important than which political system we should use,” he added.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
Taiwan lacks effective and cost-efficient armaments to intercept rockets, making the planned “T-Dome” interception system necessary, two experts said on Tuesday. The concerns were raised after China’s military fired two waves of rockets during live-fire drills around Taiwan on Tuesday, part of two-day exercises code-named “Justice Mission 2025.” The first wave involved 17 rockets launched at 9am from Pingtan in China’s Fujian Province, according to Lieutenant General Hsieh Jih-sheng (謝日升) of the Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence at the Ministry of National Defense. Those rockets landed 70 nautical miles (129.6km) northeast of Keelung without flying over Taiwan,
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
City buses in Taipei and New Taipei City, as well as the Taipei MRT, would on Saturday begin accepting QR code payments from five electronic payment providers, the Taipei Department of Transportation said yesterday. The new option would allow passengers to use the “transportation QR code” feature from EasyWallet, iPass Money, iCash Pay, Jkopay or PXPay Plus. Passengers should open their preferred electronic payment app, select the “transportation code” — not the regular payment code — unlock it, and scan the code at ticket readers or gates, General Planning Division Director-General Liu Kuo-chu (劉國著) said. People should move through the
RSS