An opinion poll published yesterday showed that former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and New Taipei City (新北市) Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) are seen as politicians most capable of fighting corruption, with each winning support from more than 40 percent of respondents.
Tsai was named as the most trustworthy politician among a selection of 10 politicians when it comes to tackling corruption, with a support rate of 46.5 percent in the survey conducted by Taiwan Indicators Survey Research (TISR). Chu was second with 41.1 percent.
All four DPP politicians on the list were in the top five. DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) came in third with 38.5 percent, ahead of Greater Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu’s (陳菊) 37.2 percent and Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai’s (賴清德) 34.3 percent.
Photo: Ho Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The results showed widespread public disappointment with the government’s efforts to fight graft, as President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), plagued by a series of government corruption cases, endured embarrassing results.
Ma ranked second to last with 17.6 percent, while Wu was last with 12.6 percent. Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) placed eighth, one place above Ma, with 18.4 percent, trailing Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌).
With regards to political parties, 30.1 percent said both the KMT and the DPP were incapable of monitoring potential corruption when in power, with 26.2 percent saying the DPP was better and 18.9 percent voting for the KMT. Just 6.2 percent supported both parties’ efforts, while 18.6 percent were unsure.
The survey also found that people’s confidence in the judicial system has dramatically waned since 2006, with 69.2 percent saying they did not believe the judicial system could uphold fairness and justice.
That was up from 48.5 percent who expressed their lack of confidence in the judiciary in 2006, 47.2 percent in 2009 and 63.3 percent in July last year, TISR said.
Only 18.6 percent believed that justice and fairness would be upheld, a far cry from the 40.4 percent in 2006 and 39.1 percent in 2009.
The poll, conducted on Monday and Tuesday, had 1,005 valid samples and a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old