Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman Chang Cheng-hsiung (張政雄) defended the commission's decision to schedule the legislative elections for Jan. 12 next year, as pan-blue lawmakers assailed him with conspiracy theories in a legislative committee yesterday.
The commission had announced last Friday that the next legislative elections would be held on Jan. 12, citing the Public Service Election and Recall Law (公職人員選舉罷免法), which states that elections for the next legislative session must finish at least ten days before the present session expires on Jan. 31 next year.
Commencing the next round of elections on Jan. 12, commission spokesman Teng Tien-you (鄧天祐) had said, would ensure they would be completed by Jan. 21.
scheming
Pan-blue lawmakers have slammed the commission for not consulting them on the date, claiming the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and commission are conniving to manipulate election results by pushing the election dates as far back as legally possible.
Quizzing Chang in the Home and Nations legislative committee yesterday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) fired another conspiracy theory at Chang -- that pushing back the legislative elections to January at the pan-green camp's behest gives them more time to collect signatures for referendums, which in turn could impact on election results in a way that favors the DPP.
"Legislator," Chang replied, "the date was selected so that elections wouldn't interfere with civil service and academic examinations, and could avoid business holidays."
The commission is also required to announce the legislative election dates six months before they happen, Chang said.
tight-lipped
Asked if the legislative and presidential elections would be held together, Chang remained tightlipped, saying that the next CEC session, which begins next month, would decide that matter.
The current CEC session expires on June 26.
The DPP is planning referendums on sensitive matters pertaining to cross-strait issues for both the legislative and presidential elections in order to influence their outcomes, Ting alleged.
The referendums, he said, would further mobilize pan-green voters for both elections, giving pan-green candidates an edge.
The lawmaker did not back up his accusations with any evidence.
The DPP and commission have yet to definitely announce any upcoming referendums.
OFFLINE: People who do not wish to register can get the money from select ATMs using their bank card, ID number and National Health Insurance card number Online registration for NT$6,000 (US$196.32) cash payments drawn from last year’s tax surplus is to open today for eligible people whose national ID or permanent residency number ends in either a zero or a one, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. Officials from the ministry revealed which days Taiwanese and eligible foreigners would be able to register for the cash payments at a joint news conference with the Ministry of Digital Affairs. Online registration is to open tomorrow for those whose number ends in a two or three; on Friday for those that end in a four or five: on Saturday
TECH PROGRAM: A US official said that an important part of the delegation’s trip would be to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co executives The US is to send officials in charge of chip development to Taiwan, Japan and South Korea to promote cooperation in the global semiconductor supply chain, the US Department of Commerce said on Tuesday. Chips Program Office Director Michael Schmidt announced the visit, which marks the first time officials from the office are to visit the three nations since it was set up in September last year. “As semiconductors and technologies continue to evolve, the United States will keep working with allies and partners to develop coordinated strategies to ensure that malign actors cannot use the latest technologies to undermine our collective
Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) officials are investigating why a Starlux Airlines flight to Penang, Malaysia, returned to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport nearly two hours after takeoff yesterday morning. The airline said in a statement that Flight JX721 to Penang took off from Taoyuan airport at 9:20am. “After the dashboard showed a signal of an abnormality in the hydraulic system, the captain followed standard operating procedures and returned the flight to Taoyuan airport for safety precautions,” the airline said, adding that the flight landed safely at the airport at 11:04am. The airline arranged for the passengers to have lunch after the flight landed and
WORKING UP AN APPETITE: Sales at the Rueifong Night Market surged 20 to 30 percent, while seats at Liouhe Night Market were packed until 1am, market officials said South Korean pop band Blackpink’s concerts over the weekend in Kaohsiung helped draw large crowds to local night markets, the Kaohsiung City Government said yesterday. The two concerts on Saturday and Sunday at Kaohsiung National Stadium drew more than 90,000 people. The city government offered NT$50 vouchers to spend locally to concertgoers who showed their ticket stubs. Liouhe Night Market (六合夜市) management committee head Chuang Chi-chang (莊其章) said that crowds over the weekend surged at about 10pm and the market remained packed until 1:30am. “Almost all the seats were filled,” Chuang said. Night market stall owners had stocked up in expectation of an increased number