DPP and TSU lawmakers said the two parties will focus on passing the proposed statute governing the disposition of assets improperly obtained by political parties (
While the DPP argued that the position held by the KMT and PFP on the statute will be a litmus test on whether the parties will cooperate, the TSU threatened to shut down negotiations if the draft is not listed on the legislative agenda.
The statute, which would empower the government to investigate and confiscate assets that have been unlawfully obtained by political parties, is seen by the KMT as a proposal deliberately designed to divest it of its party assets.
TSU legislative whip Chien Lin Hui-chun (
She blasted the KMT for lacking sincerity over reform after the statute was struck from the agenda in the previous legislative session due to the KMT's opposition.
DPP legislative leader Chen Chi-mai (
Chen urged the two major opposition parties to seek a common ground regarding the issue since the PFP supports the proposal, but the KMT does not.
KMT Legislator Tseng Yung-chuan (
Tseng said the KMT has agreed to place its party assets in a trust, to stop running business enterprises, and is aware of the need to regulate party assets.
But he argued the statute is unnecessary because the goal could be achieved through the proposed political party law (
He warned that the DPP could be responsible for disrupting cross-party harmony if it insists on raising controversial initiatives.
The DPP and the TSU also vowed to jointly push for the passage of the proposed national technology protection law (國家科技保護法) and amendments to the Constitution for legislative reform.
Meanwhile, TSU Legislator Chen Chien-ming (
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
Taiwan next year plans to launch its first nationwide census on elderly people living independently to identify the estimated 700,000 seniors to strengthen community-based healthcare and long-term care services, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) said yesterday. Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said on the sidelines of a healthcare seminar that the nation’s rapidly aging population and declining birthrate have made the issue of elderly people living alone increasingly pressing. The survey, to be jointly conducted by the MOHW and the Ministry of the Interior, aims to establish baseline data and better allocate care resources, he
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