Huang’s power grab
At the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) national congress on Sunday, TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) announced that the party would keep its requirements that legislators-at-large step down after two years — a policy originally introduced by TPP founder and former chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
Aside from TPP Legislator-at-large Liu Shu-pin (劉書彬), who replaced former TPP legislator-at-large Wu Chun-cheng (吳春城) following his resignation in February, the other seven “white” bloc legislators are to step down on Jan. 31 next year — including Huang himself — due to a “two-year clause” in the party’s constitution that requires legislators to resign halfway through their four-year term.
Huang said that the party would abide by the directive set by Ko, and that any changes to it should be decided by the former chairman.
While Huang’s announcement appears to be a show of respect for Ko and might earn him a reputation as a politician who does not cling to power, it is clearly full of political calculations — a strategy that guarantees internal and external gains.
By respecting Ko’s wishes, Huang can win over Ko’s supporters, while resigning as a legislator after two years would signal that he puts the party’s interests first, thereby solidifying his position as TPP chairman — both of which are beneficial for his political career.
Given Ko’s ongoing legal battles, it is possible that he ends up spending the rest of his life in prison. Once Huang buries Ko’s existence under the guise of respect, the TPP would inevitably become dominated by him alone. He would have the power to single-handedly control party nominations and candidate selections for elections, while Ko would be left with no choice but to grin and bear it.
Furthermore, former Public Television Service board direction Karen Hsu (徐瑞希) — who was nominated as a legislator-at-large by the TPP in 2023, but has since left the party — on Saturday revealed on Facebook that Ko sent handwritten instructions requesting the establishment of a vice chairperson position in September last year. However, his request was consistently ignored, raising suspicions about there being an opaque “black box” in the party.
Huang’s response to this was evasive, saying that the TPP can only respect Hsu’s public withdrawal from the party. If what Hsu said is true, it could expose Huang’s intention to prevent any division of power within the party.
Huang’s claim that only Ko could change the party’s “two-year clause” is simply inconceivable in the context of normal political party operations. Through a party’s national congress, decisions can be reviewed and made anew to naturally represent the party’s will — thus, they could certainly overturn the personal decision of a former chairman. Huang’s reasoning defies logic.
Tien Fong-wen
Taipei
In South Korea, the medical cosmetic industry is fiercely competitive and prices are low, attracting beauty enthusiasts from Taiwan. However, basic medical risks are often overlooked. While sharing a meal with friends recently, I heard one mention that his daughter would be going to South Korea for a cosmetic skincare procedure. I felt a twinge of unease at the time, but seeing as it was just a casual conversation among friends, I simply reminded him to prioritize safety. I never thought that, not long after, I would actually encounter a patient in my clinic with a similar situation. She had
Chinese actor Alan Yu (于朦朧) died after allegedly falling from a building in Beijing on Sept. 11. The actor’s mysterious death was tightly censored on Chinese social media, with discussions and doubts about the incident quickly erased. Even Hong Kong artist Daniel Chan’s (陳曉東) post questioning the truth about the case was automatically deleted, sparking concern among overseas Chinese-speaking communities about the dark culture and severe censorship in China’s entertainment industry. Yu had been under house arrest for days, and forced to drink with the rich and powerful before he died, reports said. He lost his life in this vicious
A recent trio of opinion articles in this newspaper reflects the growing anxiety surrounding Washington’s reported request for Taiwan to shift up to 50 percent of its semiconductor production abroad — a process likely to take 10 years, even under the most serious and coordinated effort. Simon H. Tang (湯先鈍) issued a sharp warning (“US trade threatens silicon shield,” Oct. 4, page 8), calling the move a threat to Taiwan’s “silicon shield,” which he argues deters aggression by making Taiwan indispensable. On the same day, Hsiao Hsi-huei (蕭錫惠) (“Responding to US semiconductor policy shift,” Oct. 4, page 8) focused on
The election campaign for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chair is heating up, with only 10 days left before party members cast their ballots on Oct. 18. The campaign has revealed potential strengths for the party going into important elections next year and in 2028, particularly the desire among leading candidates to deepen cooperation with the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). However, it has also exposed the party’s persistent weaknesses, especially in formulating a policy on cross-strait relations that can appeal to the majority of Taiwanese. Six candidates are registered: former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), 73; former legislator Cheng Li-wun
RSS