With no end in sight to the escalating standoff between opponents and supporters of President Chen Shui-bian (
The rumors emerged after violent clashes in Kaohsiung on Monday night, Tainan on Tuesday night, and as anti-Chen protesters in Taipei were set to move back to their original location on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office late last night.
Yesterday, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus said that they welcomed anyone, including Lee, who wanted to help end the turmoil.
PHOTO: TSAI WEN-CHU, TAIPEI TIMES
"The speculation has not been confirmed by former president Lee Teng-hui," DPP caucus whip Yeh Yi-ching (葉宜津) said. "However, we are happy to see anyone who is willing to ... help improve stability and facilitate harmony between the ruling and opposition parties."
Yeh was referring to a report published yesterday in the Chinese-language China Times that former president Lee Teng-hui met Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Chairman Shu Chin-chiang (
Shu said that Lee was worried about the political situation and opposed any mobilization of supporters by political parties to engage in confrontational activities.
"He hopes the `civil war over democracy' will end soon, and thinks that all legal assemblies must be allowed and respected," he said. "However, confrontation and demonstration should never replace democratic mechanisms."
Shu said that Lee had faith in the Taiwanese people and believed that the conflict between anti-Chen and pro-Chen camps would not escalate into full-blown riots.
Shu said that Lee's recent comment that "the Legislative Yuan is the key to resolving the political deadlock" reflected Lee's confidence in Wang and his belief that the public must respect the operations of the legislature because it was the highest body representing the people's voice.
low profile
Wang yesterday declined to confirm reports that he had emerged as a key figure in negotiations to end the campaign to oust Chen.
However, independent Legislator Lin Pin-kun (
"We reached a consensus that the legislature has the duty to put forward a second recall motion, because letting the people decide through a referendum whether the president should be deposed is the best solution to the controversy," Lin said.
Quizzed by reporters, Wang said he hadn't met with former president Lee for quite a while.
"My urgent business now is to stabilize the legislature's operations so that it can function smoothly," Wang said. "My position as legislative speaker makes it inappropriate for me to get involved in the matter."
"There are other people more competent than me for that job," Wang said.
Lin also refused to comment on the matter of Lee's intervention, noting that he first learned that Lee had such a plan from yesterday's newspaper.
Anti-Chen campaign leader Shih Ming-teh (
"I am happy to see that Lee [reportedly] finally heard the people's voice and is willing to negotiate with other leaders," Shih said. "But if they are trying to sell out the Taiwanese, the people will not remain silent."
In response to media allegations that Lee also met with Shih, both denied the rumors.
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
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is set to issue sea and land warnings for Tropical Storm Krathon as projections showed that the tropical storm could strengthen into a typhoon as it approaches Taiwan proper, the CWA said yesterday. The sea warning is scheduled to take effect this morning and the land warning this evening, it said. The storm formed yesterday morning and in the evening reached a point 620 nautical miles (1,148km) southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, moving west-southwest at 4 kph as it strengthened, the CWA said. Its radius measured between 220km and 250km, it added. Krathon is projected
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