The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday said details of alleged illegal party assets that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) promised to release are only the “tip of the iceberg,” accusing the KMT of insincerity over its holdings.
KMT spokesperson Lin Yi-hua (林奕華) said on Tuesday that the party would finish detailing its party assets by the end of the month.
However, DPP spokesperson Huang Di-ying (黃帝穎) said the KMT is trying to deceive the public.
“According to an Executive Yuan report, the KMT’s party assets include 834 plots worth more than NT$31.1 billion [US$992 million] according to land evaluations made in 2006,” Huang said. “In addition, it also possesses more than 152 buildings across the country.”
“The KMT is only willing to take care of 229 properties, which is less than a quarter of what it has,” Huang said. “If this is not an insincere move, what is?”
Huang said the KMT also earns income from the rent or sale of properties.
“What [KMT Chairman] Eric Chu (朱立倫) plans to take care of is only the tip of the iceberg of the KMT’s party assets,” Huang said.
Huang also accused Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) of breaking a promise made in March to publicize a list of the KMT’s assets.
Huang urged the government and the KMT to stop dodging the assets issue.
“I’m sure that people would look forward to electing a legislature with candidates from the progressive camp, so that legislation on illegal party assets could be adopted and the assets could be returned to the people,” Huang said.
The issue involves mostly properties belonging to the former Japanese colonial government in Taiwan, which were supposed to be taken over by the Republic of China government. However, many of the properties fell into KMT hands instead.
In other news, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) urged President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to focus more on what he is doing now after the president said during a meeting with former US vice president Dan Quayle on Tuesday that the development of cross-strait relations would become unpredictable if the next government does not continue with established policies.
“I have stated my cross-strait policies clearly: While keeping Taiwan democratic and free, and keeping its constitutional order, we would strive to maintain stable and peaceful relations across the Taiwan Strait,” Tsai said. “I’ve said this several times already and it is supported by most Taiwanese.”
“I would urge the president to focus on running the government, especially since he is yet to fulfill his political promises,” Tsai said. “He should work hard instead of making comments on a government that is yet to be elected.”
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