Local media unleashed what at first appeared to be bombshell of a report yesterday, revealing KMT plans to launch a no-confidence vote against Premier Chang Chun-hsiung's (
But once the smoke cleared, the KMT categorically denied the idea was part of the party's strategy and it became apparent that the document was actually leaked to the press by a member of the DPP.
KMT spokesman Wang Chih-kang (
"This is a suggestion put forth by individual academics. The decision to raise a no-confidence vote will depend on the overall political situation and on public opinion," Wang said.
Wang, however, questioned the DPP's motives in publicizing the information.
The information was published by local newspapers yesterday, following the divulgence of a KMT research paper focusing on such a strategy for the upcoming legislative election.
DPP Central Standing Committee member Lawrence Gao (高志鵬), who received the paper from friends working in the KMT, passed the information to the media.
The research paper, written in early March, recommends that the KMT seek support for the no-confidence vote by conducting a series of opinion polls on the policies of the DPP government to highlight its low support rating -- a theme that would be timely for President Chen Shui-bian's (
The paper says that June would be an ideal time for a no-confidence vote, which would force a dissolution and reelection of the legislature by the end of August.
This would mean holding the legislative election three months in advance of the originally-planned election in early December.
The paper says the KMT would benefit from an early vote because this would effectively separate the legislative election from local government elections.
The DPP and People First Party (PFP) would then be unable to use the popularity of their candidates running for local government positions to help boost legislative campaigns.
In addition, it argues that early elections would simplify inter-party cooperation in the year-end elections by limiting the cooperation to the local government elections, and prevent KMT supporters from confusing their party affiliation.
The KMT is currently planning to cooperate with the PFP in local government elections, but at the same time may risk losing votes to the PFP in the legislative election because of the overlapping support base of the two parties.
The paper was presented for discussion in a meeting of the DPP's Central Standing Committee yesterday. After the meeting, the DPP issued a statement urging the KMT to abandon partisan and personal interests and give way to national interests.
"Since its defeat in the March presidential election last year, the KMT has resorted to different tactics in an attempt to paralyze the executive branch. It is not surprising that a research group within the KMT has come up with a strategy to overthrow the Cabinet," the statement said.
In response, KMT spokeswoman Chen Feng-hsin (
James Chen (
However, hardly anyone is talking about raising the vote now, Chen said, adding that there would be no reason for the KMT to raise the no-confidence vote unless the DPP government makes another huge policy mistake.
TYPHOON: The storm’s path indicates a high possibility of Krathon making landfall in Pingtung County, depending on when the storm turns north, the CWA said Typhoon Krathon is strengthening and is more likely to make landfall in Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said in a forecast released yesterday afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the CWA’s updated sea warning for Krathon showed that the storm was about 430km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point. It was moving in west-northwest at 9kph, with maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts of up to 155kph, CWA data showed. Krathon is expected to move further west before turning north tomorrow, CWA forecaster Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said. The CWA’s latest forecast and other countries’ projections of the storm’s path indicate a higher
SLOW-MOVING STORM: The typhoon has started moving north, but at a very slow pace, adding uncertainty to the extent of its impact on the nation Work and classes have been canceled across the nation today because of Typhoon Krathon, with residents in the south advised to brace for winds that could reach force 17 on the Beaufort scale as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecast that the storm would make landfall there. Force 17 wind with speeds of 56.1 to 61.2 meters per second, the highest number on the Beaufort scale, rarely occur and could cause serious damage. Krathon could be the second typhoon to land in southwestern Taiwan, following typhoon Elsie in 1996, CWA records showed. As of 8pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 180km
TYPHOON DAY: Taitung, Pingtung, Tainan, Chiayi, Hualien and Kaohsiung canceled work and classes today. The storm is to start moving north this afternoon The outer rim of Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) at about noon yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, adding that the eye of the storm was expected to hit land tomorrow. The CWA at 2:30pm yesterday issued a land alert for Krathon after issuing a sea alert on Sunday. It also expanded the scope of the sea alert to include waters north of Taiwan Strait, in addition to its south, from the Bashi Channel to the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). As of 6pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 160km south of
STILL DANGEROUS: The typhoon was expected to weaken, but it would still maintain its structure, with high winds and heavy rain, the weather agency said One person had died amid heavy winds and rain brought by Typhoon Krathon, while 70 were injured and two people were unaccounted for, the Central Emergency Operation Center said yesterday, while work and classes have been canceled nationwide today for the second day. The Hualien County Fire Department said that a man in his 70s had fallen to his death at about 11am on Tuesday while trimming a tree at his home in Shoufeng Township (壽豐). Meanwhile, the Yunlin County Fire Department received a report of a person falling into the sea at about 1pm on Tuesday, but had to suspend search-and-rescue
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