The DPP attacked a KMT proposal to dismiss the controversial newly elected speaker of the Kaohsiung city council as an empty gesture designed to avert public blame, because the suggestion can't be carried out in accordance with the law.
"The decision made by the KMT is an attempt to disassociate themselves from the scandalous event. [The proposal] came too late. It is like telling a joke to society," a DPP press release stated.
Under the Law on Local Government Systems (地方制度法) and the organizational regulations of the Kaohsiung city council, speakers or vice speakers-elect can't be ousted in their first year in office.
DPP Deputy Secretary-General Michael You (游盈隆) said the KMT's proposal was meaningless for the time being, but his party would endorse the initiative if the KMT re-introduces it next year.
The ruling party lashed out at the scheme presented by KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) to recall independent lawmaker Chu An-hsiung (朱安雄), who is being prosecuted over allegations of bribery and tax evasion, one day after he was elected as the speaker of the Kaohsiung city council because of support from KMT and PFP city councilors.
The DPP demonstrated its resolve to fight against "black gold" by forbidding its city councilors to vote for Chu.
The results of Wednesday's election were that Chu and another controversial independent lawmaker Tsai Song-hsiung (蔡松雄) were elected as speaker and vice speaker, with each obtaining 25 votes in separate votes by the 44-member council.
All of 14 the DPP city councilors voted for Kao Tzeng-ying (高宗英), a candidate nominated by the party several hours before the vote. DPP Secretary General Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄) stated that the election would make it clear who has voted "yes" to "black gold politics."
"People can now see clearly. The public can judge how the KMT and PFP have permitted their members to succumb to black gold for their own political interests," Chang said in a letter to the DPP city councilors of Kaohsiung.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
RSS