Veteran political activist Shih Ming-te (施明德) said he would consult with the Central Election Commission (CEC) about the feasibility of collecting signatures for his presidential candidate bid over the Internet to help him pass the required threshold.
Shih, who previously said that he was not worried about coming up short of the 300,000 signatures he needs to run, yesterday said in an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) that he is worried now.
“It would not be honorable for Taiwan if I cannot even run for president,” said Shih, who at one time was the nation’s longest-serving political prisoner, having spent more than 25 years behind bars.
He said he would file a request with the commission, asking it to introduce a rule that would allow signatures to be gathered online, rather than accepting only paper-based signatures.
“The times have changed. Nowadays, people can manage their household information and pay income taxes via the Internet, so why is it that signatures to obtain presidential candidacy cannot be gathered online?” he asked.
The commission’s rule that signatures must be paper-based is a waste of paper that is outdated and environmentally unfriendly, he said, adding that he has collected about 100,000 signatures.
“It is so difficult to achieve, just plain cruel. It is draining my energy,” he said.
Submitting a paper-based signature requires people to provide their identity cards, which is “off-putting” to some, he said.
Shih said the only way to boost his signature drive was through media exposure, adding that many people know of his presidential bid, but not all know he is required to obtain signatures to run.
He said he plans to begin nationwide campaigning at the beginning of next month.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
RSS