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.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
Snow fell on Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning as a continental cold air mass sent temperatures below freezing on Taiwan’s tallest peak, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Snowflakes were seen on Yushan’s north peak from 6:28am to 6:38am, but they did not fully cover the ground and no accumulation was recorded, the CWA said. As of 7:42am, the lowest temperature recorded across Taiwan was minus-5.5°C at Yushan’s Fengkou observatory and minus-4.7°C at the Yushan observatory, CWA data showed. On Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County, a low of 1.3°C was recorded at 6:39pm, when ice pellets fell at Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓), a
NO SHAME IN RETREAT: Hikers should consider turning back if the weather turns bad or if they do not have sufficient equipment, the Taroko park headquarters said Two people died of hypothermia over the weekend while hiking on Hsuehshan (雪山), prompting park authorities to remind hikers to bring proper equipment and consider their physical condition before setting out in the cold weather. Temperatures dropped over the weekend, bringing snow to high altitudes in Shei-pa National Park. One hiker, surnamed Lin (林), who on Friday was traveling with a group of six along the Hsuehshan west ridge trail, lost consciousness due to hypothermia and died, the Shei-pa National Park Headquarters said. On Saturday, another hiker, surnamed Tien (田), in a group of five on the southeast of the west
RSS