The Central Election Commission (CEC) over the next few months is to consult with local election commissions on whether to hold the 2020 presidential and legislative elections on the same day, with a decision on the matter to be reached in June, CEC Acting Chairman Chen Chao-chien (陳朝建) said yesterday.
The elections could be held on the same day, in January 2020, or separately, with the legislative elections in November next year and the presidential election in March 2020, Chen told the Legislative Yuan’s Internal Administration Committee in response to questions from People First Party Legislator Chen Yi-chieh (陳怡潔).
The commission has no set opinion on whether to hold the elections separately or together, Chen Chao-chien said, adding that political factors would not be taken into consideration when deciding on the dates.
When asked about the benefits and downsides of each option, Chen Chao-chien said that a major advantage of holding the presidential and legislative elections on the same day is that the CEC has experience conducting the polls simultaneously from the presidential and legislative elections in 2012 and 2016.
On the other hand, holding them separately would be a return to historical election practices, he said.
The CEC is to consult local election commissions on the matter next month and in February and would make a decision after discussions at CEC meetings, Chen Chao-chien said, adding that the agency would handle election affairs according to its schedule.
While presidential and legislative elections were held on the same day in 2012 and 2016, they were held separately in 2004 and 2008, the CEC said.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if the next president of that country decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said today. “We would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said during a legislative hearing. At the same time, Taiwan is paying close attention to the Central American region as a whole, in the wake of a visit there earlier this year by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Lin said. Rubio visited Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala, during which he
RSS