The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) yesterday withdrew its support for the pan-blue camp's plan to propose a third recall motion against President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).
TSU caucus whip Liao Pen-yen (廖本煙) told a press conference that the caucus would respect the president's promise that he would step down if first lady Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) were found guilty.
Liao said the TSU would only support the new recall motion on the condition that "concrete evidence concerning corruption is presented," but he did not say if Taipei District Prosecutor Eric Chen's (陳瑞仁) indictment would be considered "concrete evidence."
PHOTO: LO PEI-DER, TAIPEI TIMES
He said the caucus would suggest that TSU headquarters "wait, listen and see" what the public response was before deciding the caucus' stance on the recall motion.
The decision was agreed upon unanimously after yesterday morning's caucus meeting, Liao said, but TSU Legislator Lai Shin-yuan (賴幸媛) left the meeting before it ended.
She did not talk to reporters after leaving the meeting.
TSU Chairman Shu Chin-chiang (
However, yesterday afternoon TSU Taipei mayoral candidate Clara Chou (周玉蔻) held a joint press conference with Lai and voiced support for the recall motion.
Chou said that judging from Lee's recent remarks that "justice, morality, conscience and the concept of right or wrong were the best remedies for the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] and were the hope for Taiwan's society," the former president is actually in favor of the recall motion.
Chou urged DPP legislators to vote for the recall motion in the legislature and let the people decide whether Chen should resign. She announced that one of her campaign themes would be that she is "pro-recall motion."
Chou said TSU legislators Huang Chung-yung (黃宗源), David Huang (黃適卓) and Liao were the only three TSU caucus members who were "pro-Chen" instead of being "pro-Lee."
In response to Chou's comments, Shu said: "She is not a legislator or a member of the TSU's Central Executive Committee. Although she has her own campaign strategy, she cannot stand for the TSU's headquarters or Lee."
‘CROWN JEWEL’: Washington ‘can delay and deter’ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Taiwan, but it is ‘a very delicate situation there,’ the secretary of state said US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change to Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or extortion and would maintain that policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Hugh Hewitt Show host on Wednesday. The US’ policy is to maintain Taiwan’s “status quo” and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion, Rubio said. Hewitt asked Rubio about the significance of Trump earlier this month speaking with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at the White House, a meeting that Hewitt described as a “big deal.” Asked whether the meeting was an indication of the
‘RELATIVELY STRONG LANGUAGE’: An expert said the state department has not softened its language on China and was ‘probably a little more Taiwan supportive’ China’s latest drills near Taiwan on Monday were “brazen and irresponsible threats,” a US Department of State spokesperson said on Tuesday, while reiterating Washington’s decades-long support of Taipei. “China cannot credibly claim to be a ‘force for stability in a turbulent world’ while issuing brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan,” the unnamed spokesperson said in an e-mailed response to media queries. Washington’s enduring commitment to Taiwan will continue as it has for 45 years and the US “will continue to support Taiwan in the face of China’s military, economic, informational and diplomatic pressure campaign,” the e-mail said. “Alongside our international partners, we firmly
KAOHSIUNG CEREMONY: The contract chipmaker is planning to build 5 fabs in the southern city to gradually expand its 2-nanometer chip capacity Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday confirmed that it plans to hold a ceremony on March 31 to unveil a capacity expansion plan for its most advanced 2-nanometer chips in Kaohsiung, demonstrating its commitment to further investment at home. The ceremony is to be hosted by TSMC cochief operating officer Y.P. Chyn (秦永沛). It did not disclose whether Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and high-ranking government officials would attend the ceremony. More details are to be released next week, it said. The chipmaker’s latest move came after its announcement earlier this month of an additional US$100 billion
Authorities yesterday elaborated on the rules governing Employment Gold Cards after a US cardholder was barred from entering Taiwan for six years after working without a permit during a 2023 visit. American YouTuber LeLe Farley was barred after already being approved for an Employment Gold Card, he said in a video published on his channel on Saturday. Farley, who has more than 420,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, was approved for his Gold Card last month, but was told at a check-in counter at the Los Angeles International Airport that he could not enter Taiwan. That was because he previously participated in two
RSS