Forty-six political groups, including the National Women’s League, have not yet transitioned into political parties and if they fail to do so by Dec. 7, they would be dissolved in accordance with the law, the Ministry of the Interior said in a statement on Sunday.
According to the Political Parties Act (政黨法), which took effect on Dec. 6, 2017, political parties that filed declarations in accordance with the Civil Associations Act (人民團體法) prior to the enactment of the parties act must revise their charters within two years following its promulgation, while political groups are required to revise their charters and transition into political parties and complete legal person registration by the same deadline.
Thirty-eight of the 291 political parties established under the associations act have revised their charters, but only three political groups have done so and transitioned into political parties, with 46 failing or refusing to do so, the ministry said.
One of these is the National Women’s League, which has said that the rules violate the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution and that it would practice civil disobedience in protest.
The league voted against transitioning into a political party at a provisional members’ meeting on Oct. 16, league chairwoman Joanna Lei (雷倩) said, adding that it is considering transforming the group into a public welfare foundation.
The league is also suing the government over a decision to freeze its assets, estimated at NT$38.8 billion (US$1.3 billion), and impose other penalties after the Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee determined that it was a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-affiliated organization.
Since the promulgation of the parties act, 60 parties have reported to the ministry that they have disbanded due to loss of members or lack of funds.
The parties act defines “political parties” as entities consisting of ROC citizens with a common political ideology who safeguard the free, democratic, constitutional order, assist in shaping the political will of the people and nominate candidates for election to public office.
The main purpose in establishing a political party is to promote political participation by nominating candidates to campaign for election to public office, the ministry said.
Parties that fail to convene a representative assembly or party congress for four consecutive years or fail to comply with the regulations governing the nomination of candidates to campaign in elections for public office for four consecutive years could be dissolved, the parties act says.
Those that fail to complete legal person registration within one year after filing also face dissolution, it says.
Political parties must submit annual property and financial statements before May 31 each year, it says.
The 60 political parties that failed to file a financial declaration this year have each been fined NT$1 million, while 11 parties that inadequately revised or delayed filing financial statements were fined NT$200,000, the ministry said.
As of Wednesday last week, 18 new political parties have been established in accordance with the parties act, while four are in the process of applying for political party status, ministry statistics showed.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
A drunk woman was sexually assaulted inside a crowded concourse of Taipei Railway Station on Thursday last week before a foreign tourist notified police, leading to calls for better education on bystander intervention and review of security infrastructure. The man, surnamed Chiu (邱), was taken into custody on charges of sexual assault, taking advantage of the woman’s condition and public indecency. Police discovered that Chiu was a fugitive with prior convictions for vehicle theft. He has been taken into custody and is to complete his unserved six-month sentence, police said. On Thursday last week, Chiu was seen wearing a white
RSS