Kao Yu-ting (高鈺婷) yesterday said that she resigned as New Power Party (NPP) chairwoman to open the way for a new leader who would help the party plan for 2022’s local elections.
The former Hsinchu City legislative candidate was the party’s fourth chairperson since its founding in 2015.
Kao succeeded former legislator Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明), who in September was indicted for allegedly accepting bribes amid an ownership dispute over Pacific Sogo Department Store. He stepped down as NPP chairman in August.
Photo: CNA
Her resignation on Tuesday night came after only two months in the role.
Kao told a news conference in Taipei that she tendered her resignation due to pressure she has faced to prepare the party for the nine-in-one elections.
“Over the past two months, I have been under a huge amount of pressure, knowing that all of the nation’s political parties have started planning their 2022 campaigns,” Kao said.
“Many people have asked about our potential nominees and whether we have plans to work with other parties,” she said.
The purpose of her time as chairwoman was to enforce urgent reform that the party needed to operate under a clearly defined mechanism and to campaign for elections, she said.
The reform was effective, as the party now has a well-run platform that allows members and staff to communicate with one another, she said.
“However, I have no intention of seeking re-election,” Kao said.
“I stepped down to leave room for the new chairperson and party members to prepare for the work of the next phase,” she said, adding that what the party needs is a chairperson who can continue leading the party through the 2022 campaign.
Kao dismissed reports that she has trouble controlling her temper and rarely goes to NPP headquarters, despite receiving a salary from the party, saying that they were unsubstantiated accusations and speculation.
She would remain as acting chairwoman until a new chairperson is chosen, she said.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Hualien County in eastern Taiwan at 7pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter of the temblor was at sea, about 69.9km south of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 30.9km, it said. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake’s intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County’s Changbin Township (長濱), where it measured 5 on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 4 in Hualien, Nantou, Chiayi, Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli counties, as well as
Credit departments of farmers’ and fishers’ associations blocked a total of more than NT$180 million (US$6.01 million) from being lost to scams last year, National Police Agency (NPA) data showed. The Agricultural Finance Agency (AFA) said last week that staff of farmers’ and fishers’ associations’ credit departments are required to implement fraud prevention measures when they serve clients at the counter. They would ask clients about personal financial management activities whenever they suspect there might be a fraud situation, and would immediately report the incident to local authorities, which would send police officers to the site to help, it said. NPA data showed
ENERGY RESILIENCE: Although Alaska is open for investments, Taiwan is sourcing its gas from the Middle East, and the sea routes carry risks, Ho Cheng-hui said US government officials’ high-profile reception of a Taiwanese representative at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference indicated the emergence of an Indo-Pacific energy resilience alliance, an academic said. Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安) attended the conference in Alaska on Thursday last week at the invitation of the US government. Pan visited oil and gas facilities with senior US officials, including US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and US Senator Daniel Sullivan. Pan attending the conference on behalf of President William Lai (賴清德) shows a significant elevation in diplomatic representation,
The Taipei MRT is to begin accepting mobile payment services in the fall, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said on Saturday. When the company finishes the installation of new payment units at ticketing gates in October, MRT passengers can use credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, the operator said. In addition, the MRT would also provide QR payment codes — which would be compatible with Line Pay, Jkopay, iPass Money, PXPay Plus, EasyWallet, iCash Pay, Taiwan Pay and Taishin Pay — to access the railway system. Currently, passengers can access the Taipei MRT by buying a single-journey token or using EasyCard,