The usual Chinese-language media-spawned gossip abounded yesterday, as officials worked themselves into a lather denying unsourced speculation about whether the premier would be asked to resign.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Yu Shyi-kun, who has just returned from a trip to Nicaragua with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), yesterday was asked by reporters for his response to an article in the Chinese-language United Daily News (UDN).
The article alleged that, even before the Rebar Group scandal, Chen had thought of asking Premier Su Tseng-chang (
Speculation and opinion often masquerade as fact in the viciously partisan Chinese-language media. Politicians of all stripes regularly fuel the rumor-mongering by responding to even overtly spurious allegations with lengthy, detailed rationalizations of mundane political infighting.
For example, the UDN story quoted an "anonymous source from within the DPP" as saying that Chen would like to have Yu -- who served as premier between 2002 and 2005 -- take up the post again and withdraw from the DPP's presidential primary, and that Yu had agreed with the arrangement.
Yesterday, Yu flatly denied that Chen had asked him to succeed to the premiership.
"Everyone knows I worked as the premier for three years after the DPP assumed office six-and-a-half years ago. I know clearly the difficulties of being premier. I've been there; so I do not expect to become the premier again," he said when answering reporters' queries.
The article also claimed that the source said Chen's plan is to have Su, Vice President Annette Lu (
The article described the source as saying that the Rebar Group scandal had legitimized Chen's decision to ask Su to resign. The paper's anonymous source also hedged his or her bet, saying that Su would "stay until there was a better moment for him to leave" although he is "waiting for the perfect time" to step down and save face at the same time.
"This hearsay [shows] that the media's imagination is too active," Yu said.
A number of other DPP officials also dismissed the story.
DPP Deputy Secretary-General Tsai Huang-liang (
He also dismissed the claim that Yu couldn't take part in the DPP's presidential primary if he became premier. On his way to deliver a speech at the Ketagalan Institute yesterday morning, Hsieh denied any knowledge of the alleged machinations.
"I do not have enough information about this matter. [The president] will not inform me of any personnel relocation in the government nor will [he] ask my opinion. Like everybody else, I have to read the newspaper to know [what is happening]," he said.
Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials including Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) are to be summoned for questioning and then transferred to prosecutors for holding an illegal assembly in Taipei last night, the Taipei Police said today. Chu and two others hosted an illegal assembly and are to be requested to explain their actions, the Taipei City Police Department's Zhongzheng (中正) First Precinct said, referring to a protest held after Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), KMT Taipei's chapter director, and several other KMT staffers were questioned for alleged signature forgery in recall petitions against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators. Taipei prosecutors had filed
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
Lawmakers from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday established a friendship group with their counterparts in Ukraine to promote parliamentary exchanges between the two countries. A ceremony in Taipei for the Taiwan-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Association, initiated by DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷), was attended by lawmakers and officials, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) and European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan Director Lutz Gullner. The increasingly dire situation in Ukraine is a global concern, and Taiwan cannot turn its back when the latter is in need of help, as the two countries share many common values and interests,
RSS