Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is expected to turn over the party chair post to Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) at a ceremony after a Central Standing Committee meeting today.
Chen will serve as interim DPP chairperson until the party holds an election for the position in May.
DPP Deputy Secretary-General Hong Yao-fu (洪耀福) said Tsai turned down an offer by the party to host a farewell event for her because she wanted to keep the day low-key. However, some party officials said they would see her off with flowers, cards and hugs.
They also said they would line up on both sides of the entrance at DPP headquarters to see Tsai off and to thank her for reforming the party and turning it around after hitting bottom in 2008.
Tsai submitted her resignation after losing the presidential election on Jan. 14, saying she would remain in the post until today.
Even though some DPP members have asked her to run again in 2016, sources close to Tsai said that she hoped to rest a while and sort out her feelings before she decides on her next move. She will also set up an office on Changan E Road in Taipei, they said.
Tonight, Tsai will treat DPP staffers and members to a screening of The Lady, a movie about Burmese pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.
A small number of Taiwanese this year lost their citizenship rights after traveling in China and obtaining a one-time Chinese passport to cross the border into Russia, a source said today. The people signed up through Chinese travel agencies for tours of neighboring Russia with companies claiming they could obtain Russian visas and fast-track border clearance, the source said on condition of anonymity. The travelers were actually issued one-time-use Chinese passports, they said. Taiwanese are prohibited from holding a Chinese passport or household registration. If found to have a Chinese ID, they may lose their resident status under Article 9-1
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