The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan Solidarity Union have teamed up with the Constitution 133 Alliance for its recall campaign against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇), DPP officials said yesterday.
Constitution 133 Alliance, an alliance of civil groups dedicated to the recall of lawmakers they view as incompetent — especially those who prioritize partisan interests over those of the public — named itself in reference to Article 133 of the Constitution, which states that “a person elected may be recalled by their constituency.”
“The three sides have reached a tentative decision on the division of labor for the petition, with the DPP in charge of half of the required petitions, and the TSU and the alliance with 25 percent each,” said Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政), director of the DPP’s New Taipei City (新北市) chapter, on the sidelines of a party meeting.
Wu, of New Taipei City’s first electoral district, has been dubbed by media as a member of “[President] Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) corps.”
Recalling Wu, who is deemed by the alliance as incompetent for his consistent alignment with Ma despite public opinion, would first require the signatures of at least 2 percent of the total electorate in Wu’s district to propose the bid and the joint petition from another 13 percent of the total voters for the proposal to be legitimate.
After that, the recall proposal would require the support of at least one-half of the eligible voters in the constituency at the time of the original election.
The team hoped to collect the required signatures before the new legislative session begins on Sept. 17, but would likely withhold the submission until follow-up preparation is done because they have to collect another 13 percent within one month, Lo said.
The DPP would focus on securing signatures for now, said Ho Po-wen (何博文), director of the DPP’s Democracy Institute, adding that the party is launching a promotional campaign in the district for the signature drive.
The Chien Feng IV (勁蜂, Mighty Hornet) loitering munition is on track to enter flight tests next month in connection with potential adoption by Taiwanese and US armed forces, a government source said yesterday. The kamikaze drone, which boasts a range of 1,000km, debuted at the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition in September, the official said on condition of anonymity. The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology and US-based Kratos Defense jointly developed the platform by leveraging the engine and airframe of the latter’s MQM-178 Firejet target drone, they said. The uncrewed aerial vehicle is designed to utilize an artificial intelligence computer
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday decided to shelve proposed legislation that would give elected officials full control over their stipends, saying it would wait for a consensus to be reached before acting. KMT Legislator Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍) last week proposed amendments to the Organic Act of the Legislative Yuan (立法院組織法) and the Regulations on Allowances for Elected Representatives and Subsidies for Village Chiefs (地方民意代表費用支給及村里長事務補助費補助條例), which would give legislators and councilors the freedom to use their allowances without providing invoices for reimbursement. The proposal immediately drew criticism, amid reports that several legislators face possible charges of embezzling fees intended to pay
REQUIREMENTS: The US defense secretary must submit a Taiwan security assistance road map and an appraisal of Washington’s ability to respond to Indo-Pacific conflict The US Congress has released a new draft of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes up to US$1 billion in funding for Taiwan-related security cooperation next year. The version published on Sunday by US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson removed earlier language that would have invited Taiwan to participate in the US-led Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC). A statement on Johnson’s Web page said the NDAA “enhances U.S. defense initiatives in the Indo-Pacific to bolster Taiwan’s defense and support Indo-Pacific allies.” The bill would require the US secretary of defense to “enable fielding of uncrewed and anti-uncrewed systems capabilities”
Renewed border fighting between Thailand and Cambodia showed no signs of abating yesterday, leaving hundreds of thousands of displaced people in both countries living in strained conditions as more flooded into temporary shelters. Reporters on the Thai side of the border heard sounds of outgoing, indirect fire yesterday. About 400,000 people have been evacuated from affected areas in Thailand and about 700 schools closed while fighting was ongoing in four border provinces, said Thai Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, a spokesman for the military. Cambodia evacuated more than 127,000 villagers and closed hundreds of schools, the Thai Ministry of Defense said. Thailand’s military announced that
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