Cabinet Secretary-General Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) yesterday dismissed speculation that he would represent the DPP in a run against popular Taipei City Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) in the year-end mayoral race.
Feverish rumors that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and DPP Chairman Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) now favor Lee to challenge Ma have swept through the party in recent days.
"I'm afraid there's nothing to talk about, although it's an interesting topic," Lee said yesterday. "Frankly, I've never thought about it, nor is it of any concern to me right now."
Lee made the remarks yesterday afternoon during a chat with the media at the Executive Yuan.
Other potential candidates include DPP lawmaker Mark Chen (陳唐山), Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (陳定南) and Chairwoman of the Council for Hakka Affairs Yeh Chu-lan (葉菊蘭).
Commenting on the rumors, Lee likened it to the lottery, which has created a guessing frenzy across the nation. "It's like the lottery in which everybody is obsessed with guessing what the lucky numbers will be," he said.
Lee added that neither the president nor the chairman has been in contact with him to discuss the matter. "There is so much talent within the party. I believe that the final candidates will win both the Taipei and Kaohsiung mayoral races," he said.
Mark Chen, with eight years under his belt as a Tainan County commissioner, also dismissed su-ggestions that he might represent the party in the Taipei mayoral election.
"The idea has never crossed my mind," he said.
When asked whether he was interested in running, he failed to give a definite answer. "We'll talk about it when the president asks me about the matter," he said.
Chen Ding-nan, who was Ilan County Commissioner for eight years, reiterated his disinterest in running in the mayoral race.
"Personal willingness is very important in the matter. I believe the authorities concerned will respect my personal decision," he said.
Chen Ding-nan has repeatedly said that he has no interest in the race, as it might have an adverse impact on the health of his wife, who suffered a stroke four years ago. The issue gained added significance after Secretary-General to the President Chen Shih-meng (
Meanwhile, Lee came to the defense of Yen Ching-chang (顏慶章), Taiwan's first representative to the WTO, who has come under fire after he reportedly proposed spending NT$500 million on purchasing a residence in Geneva. The proposal, however, was later denied by the Cabinet.
A small number of Taiwanese this year lost their citizenship rights after traveling in China and obtaining a one-time Chinese passport to cross the border into Russia, a source said today. The people signed up through Chinese travel agencies for tours of neighboring Russia with companies claiming they could obtain Russian visas and fast-track border clearance, the source said on condition of anonymity. The travelers were actually issued one-time-use Chinese passports, they said. Taiwanese are prohibited from holding a Chinese passport or household registration. If found to have a Chinese ID, they may lose their resident status under Article 9-1
PROCEDURE: Although there is already a cross-strait agreement in place for the extradition of criminals, ample notice is meant to be given to the other side first Ten Taiwanese who were involved in fraud-related crimes in China were extradited back to Taiwan via Kinmen County on Wednesday, four of whom are convicted fraudsters in Taiwan. The 10 people arrived via a ferry operating between Xiamen and Kinmen, also known as the “small three links.” The Kinmen County Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that four of the 10 extradited people were convicted in Taiwan for committing fraud and contravening the Money Laundering Control Act (洗錢防制法), and were on the wanted list. They were immediately arrested upon arrival and sent to Kinmen Prison to serve their sentences following brief questioning, the office said.
‘REGRETTABLE’: Travelers reported that Seoul’s online arrival card system lists Taiwan as ‘China (Taiwan),’ the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday urged South Korea to correct the way Taiwan is listed in its newly launched e-Arrival card system, saying the current designation downgrades the nation’s status. South Korea rolled out the online system on Feb. 24 to gradually replace paper arrival cards, which it plans to phase out by next year. Travelers must complete the electronic form up to 72 hours before entering the country. The ministry said it has received multiple complaints from Taiwanese travelers saying that the system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in dropdown menus for both “place of departure” and “next
VIGILANT: Enterovirus activity remains in the epidemic phase, with the CDC urging caregivers of infected children to be on the lookout for signs of severe illness Influenza activity is rising in neighboring countries, and, with temperatures forecast to drop this week, flu cases are expected to increase in the next two weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. Hospitals reported 87,162 visits for flu-like illnesses between Nov. 23 and Saturday, which remained about the same level as the previous week, but nine deaths and 24 cases with serious flu complications were also confirmed last week, CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said. Flu activity reached a peak in late September before declining for eight consecutive weeks, CDC Deputy Director-General and spokesman Lin Min-cheng (林明誠)
RSS