Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Pasuya Yao (姚文智) yesterday said that he would not withdraw from the party to join the Taipei mayoral race even if the DPP decided not to nominate any candidate for the capital.
During a media interview on Monday, Yao was asked if he would withdraw from the DPP and run as an independent if the party decided not to nominate a candidate in favor of renewing an alliance with Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).
“It is a possibility,” Yao reportedly said at the time.
However, Yao yesterday said he did not say he would “withdraw from the party,” and that the reports were a media exaggeration.
He said he would spare no effort to seek the DPP’s nomination and that he, as a DPP member, is proud of the party.
“The DPP can no longer work with Ko on ‘Taiwanese values.’ Ko has [failed to address] the issue of Taiwanese sovereignty and public opinions, and he has framed cross-strait relations as a ‘family’ without prior negotiations [with the government], aligning himself with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) narrative,” Yao said.
He also accused Ko of banning a journalist from talking with his staff members due to an unfavorable report about the city government’s allegedly questionable practices in organizing this year’s Lantern Festival.
That, coupled with Ko’s requiring city government officials suspected of leaking information about the Taipei Dome to the media to take polygraph tests in 2016, is indicative of Ko’s disrespect for democracy and human rights, Yao said.
Ko does not represent the progressive values he boasts and the DPP should part ways with the independent mayor, Yao said.
In related news, political commentator Yao Li-ming (姚立明), Ko’s chief campaign executive director during the 2014 election, said that whether or not the DPP nominates Pasuya Yao, he was willing to lead his mayoral campaign if he decides to run.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
RSS