Republican Party legislative candidates yesterday promised to pursue clean politics if elected, signing a pledge to reject “red envelope” bribes and offers to rig government contracts, as well as to snub land speculation.
“From long-term care to housing to daycare, the government has failed to lay out policies for addressing the public’s needs and has instead handed over its responsibilities to corporations,” party spokesman Hsu Shih-shun (徐世勳) said. “What is even worse is there are often political figures behind the corporations, allowing them to act as arbiter to manipulate policies.”
The manipulation of government contracts has held back important infrastructure investments, and has caused the market to shrink and led to an outflow of capital by harming the nation’s investment environment, he said.
The party chose to raise the issue now to publicize its emphasis on clean politics before tomorrow’s legislative elections, Hsu said.
When asked why most of the party’s candidates failed to sign a Citizen Congress Watch (CCW) to publicize positions held by candidates in corporations and other organizations, Hsu said that the party voted to treat the CCW’s pledge with caution.
Only three Republican Party candidates have signed the CCW pledge, he said.
“There are numerous points in its wording that we do not agree with,” Hsu said, referring to CCW’s legislative reform proposals.
Several candidates also said that they had not been notified by the group.
“I feel that we as candidates have been bullied,” legislative candidate Rahic Amind said, adding that organizations often fail to contact candidates in a timely manner, often asking them to take last minute black-or-white stances on issues that they have no clear position.
He has not been contacted by CCW, Rahic Amind said.
When asked if the party had coordinated with the People First Party (PFP) in promulgating the pledge, Hsu stated that in previous conversations, PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) had expressed support for Republican Party principles.
Inviting him to sign the pledge should not be a problem, he said, adding that the party hoped that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party leaders would also sign it.
Republican Party Chairwoman Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩) is paired with Soong on the PFP’s ticket for vice presidential candidate.
Hsu Hsin-ying said that if elected, the parties would focus on Soong’s policies, adding that each party had separate policies and basic demands. While the Republican Party is focused more on legal reform and labor issues, its policy stances did not conflict with the PFP’s, as the two parties complement each other, he said.
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
RSS