A trio of Taipei city councilors continued to voice support yesterday for a petition to recall President Chen Shui-bian (
The city lawmakers said they still backed efforts to oust the president, even though Chen on Sunday publicly apologized for the timing of the government's decision to scrap the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.
The city councilors were New Party members Chung Hsiao-ping (
The three plan to visit the legislature today to observe the recall proceedings.
The city lawmakers said they would consider pushing for the recall of legislators who have signed a petition to recall Chen, but who later back down when it comes time to cast a vote.
"We're doing this in the interest of all the people and many more generations to come," Chung said. "If we keep [President Chen], Taiwan will be worse off than the Philippines because decisions made by the legislature will be reversed, tension across the Taiwan Strait will be exacerbated and the stock market and economy will be weakened," Chung said.
Chung also said that Chen's mea culpa on Sunday was insufficient to solve the current political instability.
"He offers an apology because he's scared," Chung said. "He doesn't mean it, nor does he guarantee anything in the future."
Wei said that lawmakers support recalling Chen not because the government decided to cancel the nuclear power plant, but because of "President Chen's disrespect for the legislative process and abuse of presidential power."
"We do not appreciate having a tyrant as our leader," Wei said.
The city councilor also asked KMT Legislator Ting Shou-chung (丁守中), the initiator of the recall petition, to reveal the names of the signatures he has gathered so far.
"We'd like to see the petition pushed forward," Wei said. "Those who endorsed the petition but withdraw should be recalled."
Teng echoed Wei's view by saying that lawmakers of the opposition parties should act together.
"Ting claimed that he had solicited 149 signatures, the minimum figure required to pass the recall motion. It's important that those who have signed their names stick to their stance and act upon their conscience," Teng said.
Teng also challenged Chiu Hei-yuan (
The Taipei Society on Sunday said the opposition parties should drop its recall drive and instead launch a no-confidence vote against the Cabinet.
A no-confidence vote against the Cabinet could lead to new legislative elections, whereas a recall drive would mean a new presidential election.
MILESTONE: The foreign minister called the signing ‘a major step forward in US-Taiwan relations,’ while the Presidential Office said it was a symbol of the nations’ shared values US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, which requires the US Department of State to regularly review and update guidelines governing official US interactions with Taiwan. The new law is an amendment to the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 focused on reviewing guidelines on US interactions with Taiwan. Previously, the state department was required to conduct a one-time review of its guidance governing relations with Taiwan, but under the new bill, the agency must conduct a review “not less than every five years.” It must then submit an updated report based on its findings “not later
The Presidential Office today thanked the US for enacting the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, which requires the US Department of State to regularly review and update guidelines governing official US interactions with Taiwan. The new law, signed by US President Donald Trump yesterday, is an amendment to the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 focused on reviewing guidelines on US interactions with Taiwan. Previously, the department was required to conduct a one-time review of its guidance governing relations with Taiwan, but under the new bill, the agency must conduct such a review "not less than every five years." It must then submit an updated
CROSS-STRAIT COLLABORATION: The new KMT chairwoman expressed interest in meeting the Chinese president from the start, but she’ll have to pay to get in Beijing allegedly agreed to let Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) around the Lunar New Year holiday next year on three conditions, including that the KMT block Taiwan’s arms purchases, a source said yesterday. Cheng has expressed interest in meeting Xi since she won the KMT’s chairmanship election in October. A source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a consensus on a meeting was allegedly reached after two KMT vice chairmen visited China’s Taiwan Affairs Office Director Song Tao (宋濤) in China last month. Beijing allegedly gave the KMT three conditions it had to
STAYING ALERT: China this week deployed its largest maritime show of force to date in the region, prompting concern in Taipei and Tokyo, which Beijing has brushed off Deterring conflict over Taiwan is a priority, the White House said in its National Security Strategy published yesterday, which also called on Japan and South Korea to increase their defense spending to help protect the first island chain. Taiwan is strategically positioned between Northeast and Southeast Asia, and provides direct access to the second island chain, with one-third of global shipping passing through the South China Sea, the report said. Given the implications for the US economy, along with Taiwan’s dominance in semiconductors, “deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority,” it said. However, the strategy also reiterated
RSS