Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) yesterday said that she would resign at the end of the month.
Hung made the announcement during the weekly KMT Central Standing Committee meeting over which she presided, after thanking her colleagues for supporting her over the “toughest” year in the party’s history, referring to the party’s massive defeat in last year’s presidential and legislative elections.
Hung said that she would step down as KMT chairwoman on June 30 — even though her term is set to expire on Aug. 20.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
Hung is on leave until June 30 and yesterday appointed KMT Central Committee Deputy Chairman Lin Cheng-tse (林政則) as acting party chairman.
The announcement came after she and KMT chairman-elect Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) on Friday last week settled a weeks-long dispute and agreed to jointly nominate candidates for the KMT Central Committee elections.
She urged Wu to assume office as soon as possible so that he could make appointments to fill vacancies in KMT headquarters.
“We are very perplexed by the transition necessary for settling the KMT’s affairs. I hope that chairman-elect Wu Den-yih would make suitable appointments and complete the transition soon,” she said.
She said the staffing of the KMT Administration and Management Committee, which manages the KMT’s assets, is particularly urgent, as the KMT is entangled in several lawsuits with the Ill-Gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee, and numerous issues about the KMT’s assets need clarification.
She said that after last month’s KMT chairperson election, she had heard rumors that some KMT members wanted her to step down earlier than scheduled — which she had been prepared to do with the proviso that the KMT’s national congress be pushed forward from Aug. 20 to July 1, so that the transition of unfinished tasks could also be carried out sooner.
Hung said she hoped Wu could aspire to greater achievements than she did and lead the KMT to a brighter future.
Hung asked Lin to chair the meeting in her place and walked out, declining requests from some committee members to shake hands.
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