A former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) member, who was sacked in June for his outspokenness, has confirmed plans to join a committee investigating the party’s illegal assets, drawing fire from KMT members.
Committee of Illegal Party Asset Settlement chairman Wellington Koo (顧立雄) on Thursday said that he consulted with former KMT spokesman Yang Wei-chung (楊偉中) last week and invited him to join the committee.
Koo said that Yang immediately agreed, saying that he has always advocated honest handling of the KMT party assets issue, but had no way to push for reform from within the party.
Yang confirmed the meeting with Koo and expressed his desire to promote the handling of the KMT’s assets and other transitional justice measures.
Koo said that the committee would draw upon Yang’s experience as a former KMT member to balance the committee’s efforts.
Koo has also met with New Power Party members and is expected to release a complete list of committee members next week.
Answering reporters’ questions yesterday morning, Yang said that proper handling of the party assets issue requires “stepping outside of blue and green party biases.”
His comments were echoed by Koo.
“This should not be a battle of parties trying to settle accounts with each other,” Koo said, adding that the committee’s efforts are supported by most of the public.
When asked if his own salary as a former KMT member should be surrendered, Yang said: “Measures will be executed according to the decisions of the committee. Naturally, individuals and groups associated with the party will not be exempted.”
KMT Culture and Communications Committee deputy
director-general Hu Wen-chi (胡文琦) lambasted Yang for being “the sword and hired thug of the Democratic Progressive Party in their battle against the KMT” and said that the decision to expel Yang from the party was sagacious.
Addressing Yang, Hu said: “I hope [you] will maintain a good conscience, discuss things as they are and get to know the KMT anew.”
Hu said that Yang was announcing his plans to resign before the presidential elections were concluded earlier this year and that he later began making incessant attacks against the KMT, making him intolerable among party constituents.
Yang’s decision to approach the Taiwan Solidarity Union and his public support for Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) are evidence of his early intentions of joining the pan-green camp, Hu said.
“It is not the least bit surprising for the KMT that Yang wants to join the Committee of Illegal Party Asset Settlement,” he said.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
PLANNED: The suspect visited the crime scene before the killings, seeking information on how to access the roof, and had extensively researched a 2014 stabbing incident The suspect in a stabbing attack that killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei on Friday had planned the assault and set fires at other locations earlier in the day, law enforcement officials said yesterday. National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said the suspect, a 27-year-old man named Chang Wen (張文), began the attacks at 3:40pm, first setting off smoke bombs on a road, damaging cars and motorbikes. Earlier, Chang Wen set fire to a rental room where he was staying on Gongyuan Road in Zhongzheng District (中正), Chang Jung-hsin said. The suspect later threw smoke grenades near two exits
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
RSS