The degree of cooperation between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) will face a test beginning today, as the DPP plans to hold a survey on its prospective candidates for the Keelung mayoral elections.
If the winner's support rate in the poll is higher than that of the TSU's nominee, the DPP will nominate a candidate, rather than giving the nomination to its ally.
The election has already produced some infighting within the pan-green camp, after National Policy Adviser Huang Hua (
DPP Secretary-General Lee Yi-yang (
DPP spokesman Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) admitted that Huang's defection to the TSU complicated the DPP's arrangements in Keelung, where the party originally planned to "enlist" one nominee, rather than holding a primary or just giving up the position to the TSU.
Huang asserted that the DPP's cancelation of the primary was designed to help People First Party (PFP) Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (
"Huang's initiation into the TSU surprised us and drove us to reconsider the overall arrangement in Keelung City," Cheng said, while denying Huang's conjecture.
Before yesterday, in reaction to Huang's big gesture, Cheng Wen-tsan said that DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (
Meanwhile, Cheng did not deny that if the DPP decides to nominate its own candidate, a problem for cooperation between the two pan-green camp parties is likely.
"No one wants to give up this mayoral election, after all," Cheng said. "The party who surrenders the year-end election virtually gives up the next legislative election in 2007, which will be an unprecedented competition because of the new electoral system."
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
PLANNED: The suspect visited the crime scene before the killings, seeking information on how to access the roof, and had extensively researched a 2014 stabbing incident The suspect in a stabbing attack that killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei on Friday had planned the assault and set fires at other locations earlier in the day, law enforcement officials said yesterday. National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said the suspect, a 27-year-old man named Chang Wen (張文), began the attacks at 3:40pm, first setting off smoke bombs on a road, damaging cars and motorbikes. Earlier, Chang Wen set fire to a rental room where he was staying on Gongyuan Road in Zhongzheng District (中正), Chang Jung-hsin said. The suspect later threw smoke grenades near two exits
RSS