Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who is also the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman, yesterday apologized on Facebook for calling his party’s central review committee chairman “a dog.”
Ko criticized Lin Shu-hui (林恕暉), who is also head of TPP Legislator Lai Hsiang-ling’s (賴香伶) office, for withdrawing the nomination of the TPP’s Miaoli County councilor candidate.
“Who does that dog belong to? Go back and discipline it,” Ko said on Saturday.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The committee had suggested that the party withdraw the candidate after an internal review found that the primary election had generated controversy and was seen as unfair.
Later that same day, Lai publicly asked Ko to apologize to Lin, to which Ko responded that he would talk to Lai privately, saying that interparty matters should be resolved internally.
Nevertheless, Ko yesterday wrote on Facebook that “the inappropriate words I used in the internal meeting hurt my comrade, so I should apologize for that,” and for damaging the image of the party.
Ko said the TPP was committed to creating a fresh political culture, but their lack of experience had led to some improper behavior.
In response to media queries yesterday, Lai said that Ko twice called to apologize earlier in the day and promised to reflect on the incident.
Lai said she told Ko that everyone had opinions on the party platform when they were discussing the nomination of candidates, but there was no need to use emotionally charged language.
She said she hopes that party members can let go of personal grudges, respect its system and treat each other equally.
When asked if she holds a grudge against Ko because of the incident, Lai said that she has worked with him for about eight years, and believes they can clear up the misunderstanding and continue working toward the goal of reforming politics in Taiwan.
Lin had no comment as of press time.
A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
RSS