A group of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators and Taipei City councilors filed a lawsuit against Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) over a dispute surrounding the voting system to be used in the legislative elections and two referendums.
Leading five Taipei City councilors, DPP Legislator Kao Chien-chih (高建智) on Friday accused Wu and Hau of breaching Article 153 of the Criminal Code (刑法) for "inciting others to commit crimes or violate laws" by insisting on adopting a "two step" voting format in the Jan. 12 legislative elections and the two parallel referendums.
The Central Election Commission (CEC) adopted a one-step voting system on Nov. 16, but Wu said that 18 local governments controlled by the pan-blue camp objected to the scheme and would adopt a two-step format.
Taipei City Councilor Chuang Ruey-hsiung (
Chuang also accused Hau, in his capacity as Taipei mayor, of resisting the central government's order by saying that he would adopt two-step voting, thus breaking Article 134 of the Criminal Code.
At a separate setting, Legislative Speaker and KMT member Wang Jin-pyng (
The 2004 presidential election was held using the two-step voting system, he said, adding that he only sought to play a role as a fair third party, regardless of party affiliation.
Under the one-step voting system, voters will receive two ballots for the legislative elections and two for the referendums from two different desks. Each is to be cast into a separate box.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
COLD FACTS: ‘Snow skin’ mooncakes, made with a glutinous rice skin and kept at a low temperature, have relatively few calories compared with other mooncakes Traditional mooncakes are a typical treat for many Taiwanese in the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but a Taipei-based dietitian has urged people not to eat more than one per day and not to have them every day due to their high fat and calorie content. As mooncakes contain a lot of oil and sugar, they can have negative health effects on older people and those with diabetes, said Lai Yu-han (賴俞含), a dietitian at Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. “The maximum you can have is one mooncake a day, and do not eat them every day,” Lai
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