Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) has vowed to work hard on campaigning for the seven-in-one elections in November, despite his decision to not seek re-election or to run in Taoyuan’s mayoral election, politicians who met with Su yesterday quoted him as saying.
Former DPP lawmakers Lee Chen-nan (李鎮楠), Kuo Jung-tsung (郭榮宗) and Liao Pen-yen (廖本煙) visited Su at the party’s headquarters a day after the DPP leader’s surprise announcement that he is dropping out of next month’s chairmanship election.
With former premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) also pulling out of the chairman race, former DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is expected to win the election.
Su has not made any public appearances since Monday’s announcement, but met yesterday with the trio of former legislators and some other politicians who wanted to show support to his decision.
After the visit, Liao quoted Su as saying he would keep campaigning for DPP candidates across the country with the same dedication he has put into the nomination process until his tenure as chairman ends next month.
Lee said they were unable to persuade Su to run in the Taoyuan mayoral election in November, when Taoyuan County’s status is to be upgraded to a special municipality.
Su’s aides reiterated that he has no plan to enter any of the races in November.
Meanwhile, Hsieh yesterday said that since he is no longer vying for the party chairmanship, he would like to devote his energy to a pair of initiatives.
“First, Taiwan’s democracy needs an upgrade that will bring about more deliberation, communication, discussion and assessment — like what the students and other protesters did in their three-week occupation of the legislature,” Hsieh said.
The second would be stopping the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮), he added.
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
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
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