Proceedings were stymied yesterday on the first day of the legislative session, after Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers boycotted Premier Su Tseng-chang’s (蘇貞昌) administrative report.
The KMT caucus cited three reasons for their boycott: a proposed amendment targeting “Chinese Communist Party (CCP) agents”; a duty-free cigarette smuggling scandal that erupted in July; and an incident involving Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ming-wen (陳明文), who left a bag containing NT$3 million (US$96,665) in cash on a train.
The KMT caucus demanded that the “malignant law” targeting CCP agents be retracted and that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) deliver a report to the Legislative Yuan on the cigarette smuggling incident.
Photo: CNA
KMT legislators brought prop cigarettes cartons and carried cups of bubble tea with them as they occupied the speaker’s podium hours before 9am, when the session was scheduled to begin.
The bubble tea was an apparent dig at Chen’s son, Chen Cheng-ting (陳政廷), who said that his parents intended to give him the NT$3 million to open a bubble tea store in the Philippines.
After reading the schedule determined during cross-caucus talks on Sept. 3, Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) concluded the meeting at about 10:30am.
Later in the day, the caucuses reached an agreement to have the nominee for auditor-general — Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics Deputy Minister Chen Ruei-min (陳瑞敏) — attend a question-and-answer session on Thursday next week.
His nomination is to be voted on the following day.
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
A Taiwanese academic yesterday said that Chinese Ambassador to Denmark Wang Xuefeng (王雪峰) disrespected Denmark and Japan when he earlier this year allegedly asked Japan’s embassy to make Taiwan’s representatives leave an event in Copenhagen. The Danish-language Berlingske on Sunday reported the incident in an article with the headline “The emperor’s birthday ended in drama in Copenhagen: More conflict may be on the way between Denmark and China.” It said that on Feb. 26, the Japanese embassy in Denmark held an event for Japanese Emperor Naruhito’s birthday, with about 200 guests in attendance, including representatives from Taiwan. After addressing the Japanese hosts, Wang
One of two tropical depressions that formed offshore this morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. It is expected to move in a northwesterly direction as it continues building momentum, possibly intensifying into Typhoon Mitag this weekend, she added. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is expected to approach southeast of Taiwan on Monday and pass through the Bashi Channel between Tuesday and Wednesday,
About nine Taiwanese are “disappeared,” detained, or otherwise deprived of freedom of movement in China each month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Between Jan. 1 last year and Aug. 31 this year, 188 Taiwanese travelers went missing, were detained and interrogated, or had their personal freedom restricted, with some questioned in airports or hotel lobbies, the council said. In a statement ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the council urged people visiting China for any reason to be highly vigilant and aware of the risks. Of the reported cases, 50 people were “disappeared” after entering China, 19 were detained and 119 had
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