The People First Party (PFP) appealed to the Supreme Court yesterday after its bid to have last year's presidential election nullified was rejected by the High Court.
The pan-blue alliance alleges that the results of the election were swayed by various electoral scandals, a referendum held on the same day of the election, the activation of a "national security mechanism" that they claim barred a number of police and military servicemen from going to the polls and the election-eve assassination attempt on President Chen Shui-bian (
Court Ruling
The Taiwan High Court ruled on Dec. 30 that the claims made by the two plaintiffs -- Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) -- could not stand up in court.
A legal team led by Lee Tzung-teh (
Plaintiff's Complaint
According to Lee, the High Court unlawfully turned down the plaintiffs' requests to review the electoral rolls and to obtain audio CDs recording the court hearings.
Lee accused the High Court of taking unlawful command of the lawsuit and failing in its duty by not making a judgment on whether it was lawful for the Central Election Commission to hold the referendum simultaneously with the presidential election.
Lee said the High Court also rejected evidence put forth by the plaintiffs that the secrecy of the vote was compromised because the referendum was held alongside the election, but did not provide any rationale for its decision.
Lee said those points were only a few of the numerous irregularities in the case and that it is inconceivable that such an important judicial case was processed so sloppily.
Commenting on the development, the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) incoming chairman, Su Tseng-chang (
DPP Reaction
Su also urged the two parties to respect the court's judgment and the judicial system.
Incoming DPP Secretary-General Lee Yi-yang (
Lee said he hopes the KMT and PFP will accept the final result by the Supreme Court in order to put an end to partisan confrontation and meet public expectations for political reconciliation.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS