The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday nominated outgoing party caucus whip Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) as its candidate for the legislative speakership, while it nominated legislator-elect William Tseng (曾銘宗) as deputy speaker.
The KMT caucus reached a consensus at a meeting at KMT headquarters in Taipei, which was attended by 28 of the party’s 35 legislators who won seats in the elections on Jan. 16.
“Two plans were discussed at the meeting. One was that the caucus put forward its own candidates for the speakership and deputy speakership and the other was that we allow lawmakers to vote for themselves,” Lai said on the sidelines of the meeting.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Lai said the legislators in attendance opted for the first plan and agreed to select candidates based on seniority.
However, Lai said that most KMT legislators with more seniority than him all said they were not interested in joining the speakership election on Monday next week, including incumbent Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), as well as Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) and Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才).
As the party’s caucus whip, Lai said he could not run away and must assume the responsibility.
“I did not foresee such an outcome, nor did I plan for it,” he said.
As for the nomination of Tseng, the outgoing chairman of the Financial Supervisory Commission, who does not have any prior legislative experience, Lai said he was nominated because it was later agreed that it was not necessary to adhere to the principle of seniority.
The nominations are set to bring an end to Wang’s long hold on the speakership.
Wang is the nation’s longest-serving legislative speaker, a post he has occupied since 1999. He was re-elected as a legislator-at-large on Jan. 16.
Lai’s chances of winning the speakership election are slim, as the KMT only holds 35 seats in the 113-seat legislature, compared with 68 seats held by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is to nominate its own speakership candidate by the end of this week.
Asked what role Wang would play in the legislature, Lai said the matter was not discussed at the meeting, but Wang is expected to continue helping others.
Lai downplayed questions regarding some pan-blue supporters’ call that Wang resign as a legislator-at-large to take responsibility for the KMT’s landslide defeat in the elections.
“People who look at one thing from a different angle would certainly reach a different conclusion. I do not have much opinion on this matter and I think we should respect and listen to more opinions,” Lai said.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS