The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday proposed an amendment to the Political Donations Act (政治獻金法) to allow those launching recall-related events to receive political donations, saying that the current regulations infringe on people’s right to recall officials.
The draft amendment says that groups launching a recall of officials and those being recalled should both be able to receive political donations, but the groups initiating the process would have to pass the first stage of collecting signatures before they can ask for donations.
The funds could not be used for other purposes and all donations to either side would have to be turned over to the government once the efforts to launch a recall, or a recall vote, have concluded, it says.
Photo courtesy of Chou Chun-mi’s office
Article 17 of the Constitution says that the rights of election and recall are important factors for public participation in politics, said DPP Legislator Chou Chun-mi (周春米), one of the sponsors of the bill.
However, the act currently only designates political parties and groups, as well as candidates, eligible recipients of political donations, and fails to address by-elections resulting from a successful recall, Chou said, adding that the oversights go against the nation’s democratic system.
DPP Legislator Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) said that a recall vote launched against Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) has highlighted the inadequacies of the current system.
The Wecare Kaohsiung coalition of civic groups gathered sufficient signatures to launch the recall vote against Han, which was approved by the Central Election Commission and is to be held on Saturday next week.
Civic groups are comprised of regular citizens and would face difficulty standing up to the concerted actions of a government, such as those of Han and the Kaohsiung City Government, Liu said.
DPP Legislator Lai Pin-yu (賴品妤) cited documents previously released by Wecare Kaohsiung showing that it had spent NT$8 million (US$266,773) staging rallies.
Han is the only public figure in Taiwan to be the target of two recalls, following one in 1994 when he was a legislator, Lai said.
Han and the Kaohsiung City Government’s actions highlight the urgent need to amend relevant legislation and systems, she added.
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
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
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
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS