■ Education
Chen's resignation approved
Premier Frank Hsieh yesterday approved Council of Indigenous Peoples Chairman Chen Chien-nien's (陳建年) resignation from the position and is expected to nominate Non-Partisan Solidarity Union (NPSU) Legislator Walis Palin (瓦歷斯貝林) as the council's new head today, according to the Central News Agency (CNA). Walis is a pan-blue-friendly (NPSU) politician. Chen has been indicted for allegedly buying votes for his daughter Chen Ying (陳瑩) in last year's legislative elections. Chen Ying was elected as the first Aboriginal legislator to represent the Democratic Progressive Party in the legislature.
■ Politics
Wang hints at running
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday said that he might run for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairmanship if Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) decides not to take part in the vote among party members. Responding to questions from reporters at the Legislative Yuan, Wang said he would consider running for the party's highest post only if Lien decided not to participate. It was the first time that Wang, a vice chairman of the KMT, revealed his intent to run. As to a media report that KMT Vice Chairman Chiang Pin-kun (江丙坤) might also join the contest and stands a good chance of winning, Wang claimed that he was not aware of this before reading newspaper reports. Meanwhile, aides to Chiang said he had no knowledge of the matter and called the report media speculation.
■ Politics
Bill spurs legislative reply
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) will call for cross-party negotiations to seek support for a legislative resolution voicing opposition to China's proposed anti-secession legislation. The decision was made at yesterday's plenary legislative session after the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) legislative caucus filed a motion asking the legislature to respond to the planned legislation. TSU caucus whip Lo Chih-ming (羅志明) said the legislature is obligated to express the public's position on the matter. "Taiwan is an independent sovereign state and not part of China. The people of Taiwan should have the right to decide their own future and destiny and pursue such common values as freedom, human rights, democracy and peace," Lo said. China's proposed law not only infringes on Taiwan's sovereignty and identity, but will also meet with opposition and abhorrence from Taiwanese people, Lo said. "China should immediately stop the passage of the law, which is detrimental to mutual understanding and cross-strait exchanges and will alienate the people of Taiwan and China," he said.
■ Politics
Legislators sue UMC chair
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) legislators Lo Chih-ming (羅志明), David Huang (黃適卓), Tseng Tsan-teng (曾燦燈) and Chen Yin-ho (陳銀河) yesterday filed a libel suit against United Microelectronics Corp (UMC) chairman Robert Tsao (曹興誠). On Feb. 23, Tsao ran an open letter in various newspapers stating that members of the TSU were regarded as "clowns" by the public. The TSU decided to bring a case against Tsao. According to Lo, the TSU had uncovered illegal investment by UMC in China ahead of a probe by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation. However, UMC denied any illegal investment. Tsao later admitted to having had a close relationship with China's He Jian Technology (Suzhou) Co, contradicting his earlier denial.
‘OBNOXIOUS MAN’: The KMT’s Chen Ching-hui moved into Chung Chia-pin’s path atop the podium and reached for him before he grabbed at her legs with both hands Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) yesterday said he slipped and lost his balance, and did not know who was around him, after jumping onto the speaker’s podium at the legislature in Taipei. He apologized after a collision with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Ching-hui (陳菁徽), who moved to intercept him as he mounted the podium. There was pushing and shoving when the session started in the morning as KMT lawmakers attempted to block access to the podium to shield Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) so he could preside over the session. Video footage showed Chung step on a chair and
Police officers yesterday morning apprehended the prime suspect of a triple homicide case, after raiding the suspect’s hideout in Taichung. They transported the suspect to New Taipei City for questioning and recorded his statement last night. The suspect, identified as a 24-year-old man surnamed Chang (張), is believed to have used his hands to strangle his wife, surnamed Chen (陳), 29, along with his three-year-old son from a previous marriage and his wife’s mother, 69. The three dead bodies were wrapped in blankets when they were discovered inside their apartment in New Taipei City’s Sanchong District (三重) on Saturday. Chang was holding a
Hungarian Member of Parliament Tompos Marton said he considers Taiwan to be a better alternative to China as a strategic partner. Marton, who is the vice president of the opposition Momentum Party, made the remarks in an interview with the Central News Agency on Sunday. He draped a Republic of China flag across his shoulders to protest Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) visit to the capital city, Budapest, on Thursday last week, and openly voiced support for Taiwan on social media. He said in the interview that he wanted to remind the world that there were alternatives to China, and that “Taiwan has
A female physician at New Taipei City’s Shuang Ho Hospital was bullied and made to work for 32 consecutive hours by a senior colleague while pregnant before later having a miscarriage, an internal investigation found, the hospital said on Monday. The perpetrator has been removed from his post, the hospital said. The attending physician in the hospital’s Medical Imaging Department, identified by the pseudonym Y, earlier on Monday told reporters that she had been bullied by a male senior colleague who arranged shifts in her department. In January, shortly after she became pregnant, Y asked the department director if she could avoid overnight