A group of independence activists and academics yesterday publicly voiced their support for the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU), two days after several pro-independence groups lent their backing to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Pro-independence groups, including Taiwan Society, Northern Taiwan Society and Southern Taiwan Society, on Wednesday called on voters to cast their second party vote for the DPP rather than the TSU, while questioning whether the latter had deviated from the path of Taiwan-centric consciousness after transforming itself into a "center-left" party.
But in a rejection of the DPP's call, another group of independence activists and academics -- including former presidential adviser Huang Tien-lin (
Shih slammed the DPP for trying to act as a proxy for all the pro-Taiwan independence forces by pushing the TSU into a corner.
Relations between the DPP and the TSU have turned sour in recent months in part because of fierce competition ahead of the legislative elections next Saturday and to what the DPP described as the TSU's shift away from a "Taiwan-centric" stance.
In the DPP's battle to win a significant number of seats in the legislature, it fears that the TSU could split the pro-independence votes and hurt DPP candidates' chances of wrestling seats from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), observers said.
DPP Vice Secretary-General Liu Chien-hsin (
Meanwhile, the DPP yesterday urged the TSU to refrain from taking legal action against a top DPP official, who called on voters not to vote for TSU candidates, for allegedly violating the election law.
Liu said the TSU was simply trying to win voters' support ahead of the election.
"There is no need for the TSU to resort to legal means over the issue as it is normal for the public to freely express their support for a certain political party or a particular candidate in a democracy," he said.
Liu made the remarks after TSU officials said that they were considering filing a complaint against former DPP chairman Yu Shyi-kun and several pro-independence groups on charges of breaking the Public Officials Election and Recall Law (公職人員選舉罷免法) by asking voters not to vote for TSU candidates.
Twenty-four Republican members of the US House of Representatives yesterday introduced a concurrent resolution calling on the US government to abolish the “one China” policy and restore formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Led by US representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry, the resolution calls for not only re-establishing formal relations, but also urges the US Trade Representative to negotiate a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan and for US officials to advocate for Taiwan’s full membership in the UN and other international organizations. In a news release announcing the resolution, Tiffany, who represents a Wisconsin district, called the “one China” policy “outdated, counterproductive
Actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has “returned home” to Taiwan, and there are no plans to hold a funeral for the TV star who died in Japan from influenza- induced pneumonia, her family said in a statement Wednesday night. The statement was released after local media outlets reported that Barbie Hsu’s ashes were brought back Taiwan on board a private jet, which arrived at Taipei Songshan Airport around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. To the reporters waiting at the airport, the statement issued by the family read “(we) appreciate friends working in the media for waiting in the cold weather.” “She has safely returned home.
TRUMP ERA: The change has sparked speculation on whether it was related to the new US president’s plan to dismiss more than 1,000 Joe Biden-era appointees The US government has declined to comment on a post that indicated the departure of Laura Rosenberger as chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Neither the US Department of State nor the AIT has responded to the Central News Agency’s questions on the matter, after Rosenberger was listed as a former chair on the AIT’s official Web site, with her tenure marked as 2023 to this year. US officials have said previously that they usually do not comment on personnel changes within the government. Rosenberger was appointed head of the AIT in 2023, during the administration of former US president Joe
ON PAROLE: The 73-year-old suspect has a criminal record of rape committed when he was serving in the military, as well as robbery and theft, police said The Kaohsiung District Court yesterday approved the detention of a 73-year-old man for allegedly murdering three women. The suspect, surnamed Chang (張), was arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the death of a 71-year-old woman surnamed Chao (趙). The Kaohsiung City Police Department yesterday also unveiled the identities of two other possible victims in the serial killing case, a 75-year-old woman surnamed Huang (黃), the suspect’s sister-in-law, and a 75-year-old woman surnamed Chang (張), who is not related to the suspect. The case came to light when Chao disappeared after taking the suspect back to his residence on Sunday. Police, upon reviewing CCTV