Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) is to carefully consider whether to attend the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) national congress tomorrow, his son said yesterday.
Chen Chih-chung (陳致中) issued the statement in response to a proposal that his father, who is on medical parole, attend the meeting to show his appreciation of those who are promoting a motion for his pardon.
Chen Shui-bian is required to obtain Taichung Prison’s approval in advance if he wants to take part in any public activities, Taichung Prison Deputy Warden Lin Shun-pin (林順斌) said, adding that the prison has not yet received any such request.
Chen Shui-bian was convicted of corruption and sentenced to 20 years in prison shortly after the second term of his presidency ended in 2008.
He was serving his sentence at Taichung Prison, but was released in January 2015 on medical parole due to various ailments.
He has since been living in Kaohsiung.
An alliance of DPP politicians is planning to raise a motion at the upcoming national congress, calling for President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to grant a special pardon to the former president.
DPP Kaohsiung City Councilor Hsiao Yung-ta (蕭永達), who is a leading member of the alliance, yesterday said that the motion has been endorsed by 511 of the party’s 591 representatives, showing that it is the “mainstream opinion” within the party.
The alliance urges Chen Shui-bian to seriously consider the possibility of attending the congress to show his appreciation for the party representatives pushing for his pardon, Hsiao said.
Separately yesterday, DPP legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said he believes that Tsai will use her wisdom to deal with the issue of Chen Shui-bian’s pardon and that the party will respect her handling of the matter.
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
The German city of Hamburg on Oct. 14 named a bridge “Kaohsiung-Brucke” after the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. The footbridge, formerly known as F566, is to the east of the Speicherstadt, the world’s largest warehouse district, and connects the Dar-es-Salaam-Platz to the Brooktorpromenade near the Port of Hamburg on the Elbe River. Timo Fischer, a Free Democratic Party member of the Hamburg-Mitte District Assembly, in May last year proposed the name change with support from members of the Social Democratic Party and the Christian Democratic Union. Kaohsiung and Hamburg in 1999 inked a sister city agreement, but despite more than a quarter-century of
Taiwanese officials are courting podcasters and influencers aligned with US President Donald Trump as they grow more worried the US leader could undermine Taiwanese interests in talks with China, people familiar with the matter said. Trump has said Taiwan would likely be on the agenda when he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) next week in a bid to resolve persistent trade tensions. China has asked the White House to officially declare it “opposes” Taiwanese independence, Bloomberg reported last month, a concession that would mark a major diplomatic win for Beijing. President William Lai (賴清德) and his top officials
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday expressed “grave concerns” after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (黃循財) reiterated the city-state’s opposition to “Taiwanese independence” during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強). In Singapore on Saturday, Wong and Li discussed cross-strait developments, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Prime Minister Wong reiterated that Singapore has a clear and consistent ‘one China’ policy and is opposed to Taiwan independence,” it said. MOFA responded that it is an objective fact and a common understanding shared by many that the Republic of China (ROC) is an independent, sovereign nation, with world-leading
RSS