The two-month-long protest and resistance against the legitimacy of President Chen Shui-bian's (
The think tank yesterday held a press conference to release the results of a public opinion poll investigating the public's attitudes toward the two-month long protest by the KMT and People First Party (PFP).
Its findings showed that the disapproval rate of the pan-blues' protests has increased to 67.8 percent from 53 percent.
The poll also found that if the election were held today, 60 percent of the public would vote for the Democratic Progressive Party-backed presidential ticket of Chen and Vice President Annette Lu (
The poll surveyed 1,025 eligible voters from June 3 to June 4 through telephone interviews. The margin of error is 3.06 percent.
Political commentator Chin Heng-wei (
Chin said the pan-blue alliance's strategy of holding post-election protests has proved to be a fiasco as few people agree with the appeal to hold a re-election.
But among the three parties in the blue camp, Chin said the protests have hurt the KMT the most, while the small, pro-unification New Party benefited the most.
In terms of support for political parties, the polls conducted after the March 20 election and the May 20 presidential inauguration showed that the DPP and its partner, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), have increased their public approval rating to 33.5 percent from the previous 23.4 percent.
Projecting that this political strength could be maintained until the year-end legislative elections, Chin said small parties such as the TSU and the New Party have a good chance of expanding their representation in the legislature.
Political analyst Yang Sen-hong (
Yang predicted that the DPP's strength might dwindle a little bit in the legislative poll.
As for the blue camp, Yang said the KMT could probably garner 50 seats, while the PFP and New Party could take 40 and 10 seats, respectively.
Yang also pointed out that the percentage of people who regard the election-eve assassination attempt on President Chen as fraud increased from 29.7 percent to 31 percent in the two month period between March 30 and May 20 -- a warning that the DPP should seriously consider speeding up the investigation into the assassination attempt.
Yang urged the DPP to set up a "truth-probe task force" to clear itself of the conspiracy theories.
TYPHOON: The storm’s path indicates a high possibility of Krathon making landfall in Pingtung County, depending on when the storm turns north, the CWA said Typhoon Krathon is strengthening and is more likely to make landfall in Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said in a forecast released yesterday afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the CWA’s updated sea warning for Krathon showed that the storm was about 430km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point. It was moving in west-northwest at 9kph, with maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts of up to 155kph, CWA data showed. Krathon is expected to move further west before turning north tomorrow, CWA forecaster Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said. The CWA’s latest forecast and other countries’ projections of the storm’s path indicate a higher
SLOW-MOVING STORM: The typhoon has started moving north, but at a very slow pace, adding uncertainty to the extent of its impact on the nation Work and classes have been canceled across the nation today because of Typhoon Krathon, with residents in the south advised to brace for winds that could reach force 17 on the Beaufort scale as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecast that the storm would make landfall there. Force 17 wind with speeds of 56.1 to 61.2 meters per second, the highest number on the Beaufort scale, rarely occur and could cause serious damage. Krathon could be the second typhoon to land in southwestern Taiwan, following typhoon Elsie in 1996, CWA records showed. As of 8pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 180km
TYPHOON DAY: Taitung, Pingtung, Tainan, Chiayi, Hualien and Kaohsiung canceled work and classes today. The storm is to start moving north this afternoon The outer rim of Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) at about noon yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, adding that the eye of the storm was expected to hit land tomorrow. The CWA at 2:30pm yesterday issued a land alert for Krathon after issuing a sea alert on Sunday. It also expanded the scope of the sea alert to include waters north of Taiwan Strait, in addition to its south, from the Bashi Channel to the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). As of 6pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 160km south of
STILL DANGEROUS: The typhoon was expected to weaken, but it would still maintain its structure, with high winds and heavy rain, the weather agency said One person had died amid heavy winds and rain brought by Typhoon Krathon, while 70 were injured and two people were unaccounted for, the Central Emergency Operation Center said yesterday, while work and classes have been canceled nationwide today for the second day. The Hualien County Fire Department said that a man in his 70s had fallen to his death at about 11am on Tuesday while trimming a tree at his home in Shoufeng Township (壽豐). Meanwhile, the Yunlin County Fire Department received a report of a person falling into the sea at about 1pm on Tuesday, but had to suspend search-and-rescue
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