A DPP legislator lashed out at the Government Information Office (GIO) yesterday for having allowed an article written by a US academic that portrayed the ruling party in a negative light to appear in a government-sponsored journal.
An article written by American academic Shelley Rigger that appeared in the February issue of the government-sponsored Taipei Review sparked an uproar in the foreign and overseas Chinese affairs committee at the legislature yesterday.
DPP Legislator Hsiao Bi-Khim (
Hsiao said a government-sponsored publication should not be predicting that it will be difficult for the ruling party to continue to hold onto power after next year's presidential election.
She said such an analysis should not have appeared in a government-sponsored publication in the first place, adding the article might damage the government's image.
Hsiao's attack on the GIO triggered applause and laughter from opposition lawmakers at the legislative subcommittee meeting.
Deputy GIO chief Lee Cher-jean (李雪津) said the GIO would endeavor to improve in the future, although in private Lee didn't consider the publication of such an article a mistake.
"The view presented by the political observer was fine with me," Lee said. "I think she has offered some rather objective analysis."
Rigger, the Brown associate professor of political science at Davidson College and author of two books on Taiwanese politics, in her article entitled The Ruling Party: Finding Effective Governance, examined how different forces and factions have shaped the DPP during its two years in power.
Rigger wrote, "In the wake of the farmers' and fishermen's association fiasco, the chances that the DPP will consolidate its position as Taiwan's governing party seem remote. Still, the DPP has overcome tougher challenges before, and it has learned lessons more difficult even than this one."
Rigger went on to argue that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) still has a chance at a second term if his administration can "repair the damage from this incident and restore confidence in the government."
Rigger said that while a government must balance two key tasks -- representing the people and governing effectively -- the DPP must improve its record on effective governance if it aspires to win a second term.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS