Reportedly the “ace pitcher” for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to win the presidential election, central bank Governor Perng Fai-nan (彭淮南) yesterday reiterated that his current job would be his last as a public servant.
Perng made the remarks in a one-sentence statement issued by the central bank after the Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that New Taipei City Mayor and KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) has recently made frequent visits to Perng to persuade him to represent the party in the presidential election.
“Governor Perng explicitly said when he answered questions from lawmakers at the meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee on March 10, 2011, that the position would be his last public job,” the statement said.
Before the statement was issued, Perng was approached by reporters from TV news channel ETTV outside his residence early yesterday morning.
“I have not yet read the newspaper,” Perng said, according to ETTV.
Saying that Perng is both a mentor and a friend, Chu confirmed that he often consulted Perng, but did not know “where the rumor came from.”
Chu praised Perng, who has been awarded an “A” rating 11 times by Global Finance magazine, which grades central bankers annually on an “A” to “F” scale, for his international reputation and non-partisanship.
Asked whether he considered Perng a suitable candidate for the KMT’s presidential nomination, Chu said he rather not answer the question during the party’s presidential primary registration period that is scheduled to run through May 16.
“I believe he is held in high esteem by lots of people,” Chu said.
Democratic Progressive Party Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), her party’s presidential candidate, declined to comment on the Perng stories.
“There are reports about a new person almost daily, but for us, it is more important to prepare for the election at our own pace,” she said.
Additional reporting by Loa Iok-sin
Restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to be included in the Michelin Guide’s review for the first time this year, alongside existing entries from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the France-based culinary publication said yesterday. This year’s edition of the Michelin Guide Taiwan is to be unveiled on Aug. 19 in Taipei. In addition to the coveted star ratings, Michelin Taiwan would announce its “Bib Gourmand” selections — a distinction awarded to establishments offering high-quality food at moderate prices — on Aug. 12. This year’s Bib Gourmand list would also feature restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu
A firefighter yesterday died after falling into New Taipei City's Xindian River when a rescue dinghy capsized during a search mission for a man who was later found dead. The New Taipei City Fire Department said that it received a report at 4:12pm that a 50-year-old man, surnamed Chen (陳), had fallen into the river. A 32-year-old firefighter, surnamed Wu (吳), was among the rescuers deployed to look for Chen, the fire department said, adding that he and five other rescue personnel were in the dinghy when it capsized. Wu had no vital signs after being pulled from the water to the
Organizing one national referendum and 26 recall elections targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators could cost NT$1.62 billion (US$55.38 million), the Central Election Commission said yesterday. The cost of each recall vote ranges from NT$16 million to NT$20 million, while that of a national referendum is NT$1.1 billion, the commission said. Based on the higher estimate of NT$20 million per recall vote, if all 26 confirmed recall votes against KMT legislators are taken into consideration, along with the national referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, the total could be as much as NT$1.62 billion, it said. The commission previously announced
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday welcomed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s remarks that the organization’s cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners must be deepened to deter potential threats from China and Russia. Rutte on Wednesday in Berlin met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Germany’s accession to NATO. He told a post-meeting news conference that China is rapidly building up its armed forces, and the number of vessels in its navy outnumbers those of the US Navy. “They will have another 100 ships sailing by 2030. They now have 1,000 nuclear warheads,” Rutte said, adding that such
RSS