Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) heavyweights yesterday continued to exchange barbs over the moving forward of the party’s chairperson election by two months.
The KMT Central Standing Committee on Wednesday passed a motion to change the scheduled date for the chairperson election with fewer than 10 of the 40 committee members present, which was lower than the quorum of 20 for the meeting to be valid.
Unnamed sources said that at least 26 committee members were absent with the aim of boycotting the meeting.
Photo: CNA
Despite the party’s regulations of what constitutes a quorum, KMT headquarters said it was using a definition of a quorum provided by the Ministry of the Interior, that set the quorum as the total number of members minus those who called in sick or who were absent due to business.
It said that according to that definition, the quorum was met for the meeting to pass the motion.
KMT Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), who questioned the legitimacy of the meeting on Thursday, yesterday again called for a discussion about the election date at the committee’s meeting next week and said that party headquarters should allow the discussion with “sincerity and open-mindedness.”
Asked about committee member Yao Chiang-lin’s (姚江臨) protest about the validity of the meeting and his claim that he would take legal action against KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), Hau said he hoped that an internal discussion on reaching a consensus would take place first.
Former vice president Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), who has been widely tipped to run for chairman, also took issue with the decision, saying that not following the party’s rules would incur criticism and disapproval, which damages “the party’s image of solidarity.”
Committee member Sean Lien (連勝文), son of former party chairman Lien Chan (連戰), weighed in by criticizing KMT headquarters for “suppressing different opinions with force rather than undertaking communication and coordination.”
Sean Lien said he used to feel sorry for Hung, as he believed that she deserved an apology from the party when she was, using “questionable procedures,” replaced by then-KMT chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) as the party’s presidential candidate last year.
“But I was dumbfounded by the meeting on Wednesday. The forced change to the party’s rules by suppressing different opinions repeated itself, only now the past victim has become the new wielder of power,” he said.
In response to Sean Lien’s criticism, Hung said it was a “misunderstanding” and that she hopes those who hold positions on the committee would attend all its meetings to remain well-informed.
Hung said she was “very sorry to hear that” when asked about Yao’s plan to take legal action, adding that it was actually Yao who proposed moving the date of the election.
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP) has funded short-term internships in Taiwan for more than 4,500 young people from more than 40 countries since 2015, with the goal of attracting and retaining international talent, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. Fifty-five colleges launched 514 projects this year, including in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, medicine and biotechnology, green energy, and sustainability, it said. The program provides research and practical internships in Taiwan for two to six months, and offers cultural exchange and networking opportunities, the ministry said. For example, National Formosa University’s Embedded System and Autopilot Laboratory developed two solar-powered drones in
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
Taipei resident Mu Chu-hua caught some glimpses of China’s mighty military parade on YouTube on Wednesday. As she watched hypersonic missiles roll down Beijing’s Changan Avenue and troops march in lockstep, she did not feel like they posed a threat to Taiwan. Mu, a 69-year-old retiree, said she saw the parade as simply a way for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to “say thank you to the troops.” “I thought it was quite normal,” she said. “It was very cool.” China’s military parade commemorating the end of World War II was being watched internationally for insights into Beijing’s military advances and its show
RSS