The Central Election Commission (CEC) yesterday approved a motion to launch a recall of New Power Party (NPP) Executive Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌).
The motion was launched on May 19 by Greater Taipei Stability Power Alliance chairman Sun Chi-cheng (孫繼正), who must obtain the official signature billet from the commission before Friday or his request would be considered aborted.
Sun said that as a legislator, Huang was not invested with the authority to support legal marriage for same-sex couples and that he was a disruptive force in society with his support of the new labor rules and the service trade agreement.
Based on the population of Huang’s constituency, by law Sun needed 2,512 signatures to support his motion. He submitted 2,984 signatures and the commission ruled that 2,637 were valid.
Sun must file a petition within 60 days of receiving the official format for the second-stage signature drive, the commission said.
The petition must be signed by one-10th of the electoral district’s total population, or 25,120 voters, for a successful recall motion, it said.
Huang said that same-sex marriage has been supported by the Council of Grand Justices as a part of human rights as guaranteed under the Constitution, and he would not waver in his support of such rights.
Huang said he respected difference of opinions, but called on Sun and his supporters to refrain from spreading misinformation and discriminatory lies.
The grand justices on May 25 said the Civil Code’s restriction of marriage to a man and a woman “violated” guarantees of freedom of marriage and equality.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
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
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