Fri, Dec 26, 2003 page3

• Taiwan Quick Take

  • STAFF WRITER
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  ■ March election
  Parties fight over ads

  The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) accused each other yesterday of exercising political influence in domestic news media in their election advertisements. The DPP-friendly Formosa TV (FTV) rejected a contracted advertisement for a KMT election campaign commercial, while the KMT-owned Broadcasting Corporation of China (BCC,中廣) reportedly turned down an advertising offer from the DPP. The KMT yesterday accused the Presidential Office of masterminding FTV's rejection of the campaign ad, claiming FTV suddenly changed the ad schedule due to political influence. The DPP yesterday dismissed the allegations, saying the party was not capable of influencing the media for political reasons and that the accusation was groundless. Meanwhile, the DPP said yesterday that the BCC was in breach of contract.

  ■ Lunar New year

  Pingtung to hold festival

  To welcome the Year of the Monkey, Pingtung, called Monkey City in ancient times, will launch the Kenting Windbell Festival on Jan. 3. The Hengchun Wuliting Airport will open on Jan. 10 and five gifts await the first 3,000 passengers who fly from the airport. The Kenting Windbell Festival will be held for its third year in a bid to boost the windbell industry. From Jan. 3 to Feb. 8 on the 3,000-ping Shia Ti Yi Beach, the festival will feature various performances and exhibitions. Thirteen windbell theme areas await visitors and a discount of 30 percent to 50 percent for five-star hotel accommodations with five tour packages have been offered to passengers flying directly from Taipei to Wuliting Airport. In addition, restaurant coupons offering more than a 40 percent discount and shuttle bus service from Wuliting Airport to Kenting will be offered to visitors.

  ■ Pets

  Residents bark over dog ban

  The Pingtung City government's policy forbidding citizens from walking their dogs in parks has triggered controversy on the Internet. The government has long had signs outside the city's parks requesting residents not to walk their dogs in the park. With many citizens ignoring the regulation, the city government decided to publish photos of those breaking the rules in a city government monthly publication, the report said. Though some residents argued on the Internet that dogs should be entitled to enter the parks and the threat to publish citizens' photos was a violation of human rights, Pingtung Mayor Wang Chin-hsih (王進士) was quoted as saying that many citizens walked their pets in the park only for them to defecate. Wang said the city government has no choice but to publish the photos because people keep ignoring the regulations. Although city officials have failed to take any pictures of the rule breakers, policy supporters have offered many photos of dog walkers.

  ■ Public transit

  TRTC prints brochure

  The Taipei Rapid Transit Corp (TRTC, 台北捷運公司) released a brochure on MRT information yesterday in nine different languages, hoping to provide a more friendly environment for international visitors and foreign workers. The TRTC said the brochure -- in Thai, Malaysian, German, French, Spanish, English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese -- includes a map and time schedule for the MRT. The brochure is small enough to fit in a pocket, the company said.
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