Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday publicly endorsed Hualien’s incumbent deputy commissioner Chang Chih-ming (張志明) as the next Hualien County head, hoping a cross-party effort would be sufficient to end the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)’s longstanding monopoly over the eastern county.
While the DPP does not have its own nominee for Hualien in the local government chief race this Saturday, the pan-blue camp faces a three-way split that threatens Tu Li-hua (杜麗華), the KMT’s candidate.
The other two — incumbent KMT Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁) and Chang — were both expelled from the KMT for insisting on running as independent candidates.
Fu was indicted on Feb. 2, 2000, for speculating in Taiwan Pineapple group shares in 1998. In 2003, the Taipei District Court sentenced him to six years in jail, fined him NT$150 million (US$4.5 million) and deprived him of his civil rights for four years.
He filed an appeal with the Taiwan High Court and on June 11 the court sentenced him to four years in jail and a fine of NT$20 million. His second appeal is ongoing.
Shaking hands with Chang at an open meeting, Tsai said the DPP decided to throw its weight behind Chang because he shared many political beliefs, while the party and the DPP was confident his platform centered on helping the marginalized would bring maximum benefits to the residents of Hualien.
Tsai praised Chang for having an honest and clean political record and his reputation as a staunch supporter of the underdog.
“We ask all voters to help Chang get into office so that Hualien can have a fresh start after the KMT’s ineffective governance for so many years,” said Tsai, who wrote an open letter to all DPP members urging them to support the party’s choice.
Speaking at another election rally in Hualien, Tsai attacked President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who has been zig-zagging around the country to stump for KMT nominees in his capacity as KMT chairman, of making fragile political promises to woo voters.
The DPP said Ma’s presence in various election events could lead voters into thinking that KMT nominees would enjoy full backing from the central government if elected.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
The age requirement for commercial pilots and airline transport pilots is to be lowered by two years, to 18 and 21 years respectively, to expand the pool of pilots in accordance with international standards, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced today. The changes are part of amendments to articles 93, 119 and 121 of the Regulations Governing Licenses and Ratings for Airmen (航空人員檢定給證管理規則). The amendments take into account age requirements for aviation personnel certification in the Convention on International Civil Aviation and EU’s aviation safety regulations, as well as the practical needs of managing aviation personnel licensing, the ministry said. The ministry
RSS