Amid allegations of influence pedaling, KMT Legislator Hsu Shu-po (
DPP lawmakers have suggested that Hsu, a long-time member of the committee, lobbied on behalf of some illegal quarry operators along the Choshui River (
PHOTO: CNA
According to DPP Legislator Su Chih-fen (
Hsu, however, dismissed Su's allegations as "farfetched," saying he was the one who pushed through a set of strict regulations to control quarrying activities three years ago.
He also said he has worked with the police on numerous occasions to crack down on the illegal quarrying operations.
The recent accusations have not been the first time Hsu has aroused suspicion in his three terms as a legislator.
No stranger to controversy
Questions were raised about Hsu's role when it was disclosed that his family, who runs the Transworld Institute of Technology (環球技術學院), rents the institute's offices from the Taiwan Sugar Corporation for only NT$8 a ping. Hsu serves on the institute's board.
State-run enterprises are under the management of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and thus are subject to supervision by the Economics and Energy Committee.
Early start
Raised in a family with both political and business interests, Hsu was first elected a legislator in 1995 at the age of 32, winning 67,076 votes -- the highest number in his constituency in Yunlin County.
He set a record of becoming the youngest member of the KMT's Central Standing Committee in 50 years when he was first elected to the committee in 2000.
Analysts have generally attributed Hsu's early success to the extensive contact that his family has maintained with various local communities.
In addition to the support of the influential political clan established by his father, the clout enjoyed by Hsu's in-laws within the construction and tourism industries has been another valuable resource in his political career.
"Like most traditional politicians, he built his campaign network on the support of vote captains (
Hsu Shu-po's father, Hsu Wen-tsu (許文志), was commissioner of Yunlin County for eight years until he was appointed head of the Taiwan Provincial Government's Department of Reconstruction in 1990.
In 1994 he was promoted again, this time as the provincial government's secretary-general.
Hsu Wen-tsu held several other important government positions, including head of the KMT's Department of Organization and national policy adviser to former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), until his retirement in 2000.
Bumpy road
Hsu Shu-po's political climb has not been without setbacks.
Hsu failed his first legislative bid in 1992 by 1,000 votes.
In 1999, he vied for the KMT's nomination to run in the by-election for Yunlin County commissioner held after the death of commissioner Su Wen-hsiung (
The KMT first decided to nominate Hsu but later changed its mind, triggering strong protest from the legislator.
The opposition from local political factions in rivalry to the Hsu family was reportedly responsible for the twist, as there was anxiety among these factions that the political leverage of the Hsu family would continue to expand if Hsu won the position of commissioner.
Su Chih-fen, who was also elected from Yunlin County, said the decline in the number of votes won by Hsu in the legislative elections indicates that the influence of the Hsu family in Yunlin County is waning.
Compared with his overwhelming victory in 1995, the number of votes won by Hsu Shu-po dropped to 45,648 during his 1998 re-election bid. Last year, the number further slid to 31,886, making Hsu the winner with the least votes in Yunlin County.
Su attributed the downward trend to the controversies surrounding Hsu Shu-po.
"A key problem is the bus-inesses run by his family," Su said.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
UNDER PRESSURE: The report cited numerous events that have happened this year to show increased coercion from China, such as military drills and legal threats The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aims to reinforce its “one China” principle and the idea that Taiwan belongs to the People’s Republic of China by hosting celebratory events this year for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the “retrocession” of Taiwan and the establishment of the UN, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said in its latest report to the Legislative Yuan. Taking advantage of the significant anniversaries, Chinese officials are attempting to assert China’s sovereignty over Taiwan through interviews with international news media and cross-strait exchange events, the report said. Beijing intends to reinforce its “one China” principle
RSS