The ruling DPP's Central Standing Committee yesterday hammered out four central issues on which it intends to campaign in the year-end elections: economic recovery, legislative reform, a crackdown on black-gold politics, and the restoration of degraded land.
"To pursue the country's future progress, Taiwan must never return to KMT rule," deputy chairman of yesterday's committee Trong Chai (
Chai added that only a majority of legislative seats could secure the DPP's rule for the next two and a half years.
Chai said the committee also reached a resolution forbidding any party official from stumping for non-DPP candidates or attacking DPP candidates during elections.
"If local chapters report violations, those responsible may face disciplinary penalties to be imposed by the party's central review committee. Expulsion from the party is the ultimate penalty," deputy secretary-general of the party, Hsu Yang-min (
Chai also sought to end media speculation over the possibility that President Chen Shui-bian (
The party promised to help the government implement the economic proposals reached at the Economic Development Advisory Conference in order to deal with the economic challenges presented by Taiwan's planned entrance to the WTO and the expansion of cross-strait trade.
It also urged the public to support its legislative-reform proposals, notably a 50 percent reduction in the number of legislative seats and a change to a single-member district, two-vote electoral system.
Meanwhile, the party has established that a total area of 32,000 hectares in Taiwan, equal to the size of Kaohsiung and Taichung Cities combined, has been degraded by incorrect use. The DPP therefore urged all parties to review and pass legislation to facilitate the restoration of misused land and to draw up future land-development plans to foster appropriate land use.
The party headquarters, the Cabinet and the Presidential Office will each establish a campaign group to promote party candidates during the elections. The party has scheduled three campaign rallies but has failed to decide whether the president and vice president will conduct campaign trips together.
Wu Nai-jen (
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
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