Opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) last night asked to meet with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to present his appeals in person.
The Presidential Office responded by saying that it had received no official request from pan-blue politicians to meet Chen.
Lien's appeals include demanding a special medical task force and a special criminal task force to examine Chen's gunshot wound and an immediate recount of Saturday's vote, which Lien lost by less than 30,000 votes.
"On behalf of the people, Taiwan's democracy and the security of society as well as clean politics for the country, we would like to meet the president," Lien said in English at a press conference last night held jointly with his running mate, People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), at the KMT's headquarters in Taipei.
"An unprecedented controversy has derived from this election; it is a question of legality and legitimacy of the government. To take on a shun-away attitude would prompt the people to question that, as if the country's authority has been stolen," Lien said.
"It has been three days," he added, "and the leader of the nation should come forward, face the issue and solve it with a crystal-clear attitude."
In reaction to Lien and Soong's request to meet with Chen, Presidential Office Spokesman James Huang (黃志芳) said that the Presidential Office had not received a request from Lien and Soong and that a representative could be sent to discuss the issue with the president's staff.
"The Presidential Office only learned that Lien and Soong wished to meet with the president through media reports today and have yet to receive any substantial request. If they do wish to see the president, they may send a representative to meet with the president's staff to discuss this arrangement further," Huang said.
Earlier, Soong demanded a credible group that transcended party lines be formed to carry out a recount of the ballots.
"We demand the establishment of a credible coalition that transcends party lines to undertake the recount right away," Soong said.
Saying that all polls taken in the last two days prior to the election had suggested that the alliance ticket would win, Soong once again questioned the attack on Chen and Vice President Annette Lu (
"All of a sudden everything was turned around because of a mysterious shooting that happened on the eve of the election," Soong said.
"We want Chen's wound to be examined by the credible coalition as well," Soong said.
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
RSS