New Power Party (NPP) Kaohsiung City Councilor Huang Jie (黃捷) and other councilors yesterday reported complaints of suspected illegal activity as people in Kaohsiung headed to the polls to vote on recalling Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜).
Kaohsiung councilors and residents at the polls were on the alert for illegal activity, as media reports had said that some people claiming to “monitor” polling stations were warning people not to cast a recall ballot, which could be viewed as intimidation.
Huang said that when the polls opened at 8am, she began receiving reports of alleged election law offenses, such as people being filmed when entering the stations and other possible intimidation tactics.
Photo: Chen Wen-chan, Taipei Times
She added that she turned the complaints over to the police so that they could ensure that the voting proceeded smoothly.
“There were also election workers making misleading statements at some polling stations, falsely informing those with no voter notification that they could not vote,” Huang wrote on Facebook, adding that the instruction was incorrect — people could vote with just their national identification card.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Kaohsiung City Councilor Chiu Chun-hsien (邱俊憲) said that he received reports of alleged illegal activity at a polling station at Zhong Zhuang Elementary School in Daliao District (大寮), where a local figure known to be a fervent Han supporter was livestreaming the polling for a YouTube channel.
DPP City Councilor Kang Yu-cheng (康裕成) said that on arriving at her neighborhood school to vote, she found the borough warden at the entrance, apparently monitoring local residents coming to place their ballots, adding that the warden left soon after she discussed the matter with him.
Police said that they checked on a man at the polling station at St. Paul’s High School in Kushan District (鼓山) after complaints that he had allegedly set up his smartphone outside to record who was entering to vote.
Although the man told police that he was just taking photographs as a personal pastime, the officers said that they made him delete all of the video and images that he had taken at the school entrance that morning.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man