Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Sinbei City mayoral candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday came under pressure from her Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) counterpart, Eric Chu (朱立倫), to explain her role in a controversial financial reform that she led under the administration of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in 2006.
The Taipei District Court on Friday cleared the former president of bribery charges relating to the nation’s second wave of banking reforms, which lasted until 2008. Prosecutors had accused Chen and his wife of accepting up to NT$800 million (US$26.5 million) in bribes from major financial companies to facilitate two banking mergers.
Judge Chou Chan-chun (周占春) said in the ruling that while the former first family had accepted the funds, the money should be seen as political donations, which do not violate money-laundering laws, because the former president was not directly responsible for implementing banking reforms.
Yesterday, however, Chu said that Tsai owed the public an explanation on the issue and what she thought of the ruling.
Chu said his past record as Taoyuan County commissioner had already been thoroughly scrutinized by the media — referring to recent articles by the Chinese-language Next Magazine accusing him of misconduct — and now it was Tsai’s turn to explain her role when she served as vice premier and headed a task force on banking reforms.
“The DPP has placed strict standards in assessing my experience” as Taoyuan commissioner, he said during a campaign stop yesterday. “Tsai, as the chief convener of the reforms, should clearly express her views on the issue.”
As of press time, Tsai had not responded to Chu’s comments, which came one day after a group calling themselves the “Protect Taiwan Anti-Corruption Alliance,” took out half-page ads in the major local dailies asking voters to boycott DPP candidates because of their ties to the former president.
Suggesting that both Tsai and DPP Taipei mayoral candidate Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) shared the same views as Chen, KMT -Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇), a spokesperson for the group, said on Monday that “from their political language, we believe that [the two] are both accomplices.”
DPP lawmakers dismissed the comments as “simply political talk.”
The KMT is attempting to portray the Chen ruling in a way that would benefit their candidates in the upcoming elections, opposition party lawmakers said.
“The only thing they are using against us before the year-end elections are continued attacks on Chen,” DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said.
“It’s embarrassing,” she said, adding that it showed that the KMT lacked other more relevant issues to question the DPP about.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
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