The New Power Party (NPP) yesterday vowed to garner five to seven seats in next year’s legislative elections, while accusing the People First Party (PFP) of being an “accomplice” of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), saying that it should not be counted as one of Taiwan’s “third force” political parties.
“The objective of the NPP is to play a key role in reforming the Legislative Yuan and we are willing to work with the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP], which might become the largest party in the legislature, and to assist DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) reform proposals,” NPP party-building taskforce captain and Academia Sinica research fellow Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said at a fundraising luncheon for the party. “As for the legislative election, we’re looking to take five to seven seats.”
However, when commenting on the DPP’s willingness to work with the PFP for seats in Taipei’s Neihu (內湖) and Nangang (南港) districts, as well as the PFP’s ambition to benefit from the rise of the alternative political force, Huang said that the PFP should not be considered as a third force political party.
PHOTO: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
“PFP and KMT lawmakers often share their support or opposition to the same bills. The PFP is an accomplice of President Ma Ying-jeou’s [馬英九] administration, and should not be considered an alternative political party,” Huang said.
Asked if he would run in the legislative election, Huang said that he “has not ruled out any possibility at this time,” but added that his main objective now was to help the NPP win as many votes as possible, and to garner more than 10 percent of legislator-at-large ballots.
“It’s not that important whether I get elected to a legislative seat,” Huang said.
In other constituencies, the NPP’s nominee for New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水) Neil Peng (馮光遠) said that he is willing to negotiate with DPP candidate Lu Sun-ling (呂孫綾) over the seat, however, he said the final candidate should be decided by opinion poll.
The NPP candidate for Hsinchu City, Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智), on the other hand, said he would not yield if the DPP nominates its caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) for the constituency, as Ker has always been involved in murky politics.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Many Japanese couples are coming to Taiwan to obtain donated sperm or eggs for fertility treatment due to conservatism in their home country, Taiwan’s high standards and low costs, doctors said. One in every six couples in Japan is receiving infertility treatment, Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare data show. About 70,000 children are born in Japan every year through in vitro fertilization (IVF), or about one in every 11 children born. Few people accept donated reproductive cells in Japan due to a lack of clear regulations, leaving treatment in a “gray zone,” Taichung Nuwa Fertility Center medical director Wang Huai-ling (王懷麟)
PROXIMITY: Prague is closer to Dresden than Berlin is, so Taiwanese firms are expected to take advantage of the Czech capital’s location, the Executive Yuan official said Taiwan plans to boost cooperation with the Czech Republic in semiconductor development due to Prague’s pivotal role in the European IC industry, Executive Yuan Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said. With Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) building a wafer fab in the German city of Dresden, a Germany-Czech Republic-Poland “silicon triangle” is forming, Kung said in a media interview on the weekend after returning from a visit to Prague. “Prague is closer to Dresden than Berlin is, so Taiwanese firms are expected to take advantage of the Czech capital’s location,” he said. “Taiwan and Prague have already launched direct flights and it is
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