The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday once again blocked Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) from taking the podium at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei after he failed to meet its demand for an apology for the government’s handling of imports of US pork containing traces of ractopamine.
During the administration of former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of the KMT, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), then in opposition, strongly opposed the import of US pork containing the leanness-enhancing feed additive.
However, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of the DPP on Aug. 28 announced that the government would lift the bans on US pork containing traces of ractopamine and US beef from cattle more than 30 months old.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The policy is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1.
KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) yesterday said that Su had shown no respect for the opposition and failed to apologize to the public for the DPP’s U-turn on the issue.
KMT caucus whip Lin Wei-chou (林為州) echoed Chiang’s statement, saying that all Su had to do to be allowed to take the podium was apologize on behalf of the government.
“As we’ve stated multiple times over the past three months, the KMT is concerned about public health and is against the decision to allow imports of US pork containing ractopamine,” Lin said.
The DPP’s former staunch opposition to pork containing leanness-enhancing feed additives is at odds with its Aug. 28 announcement, Lin said.
The KMT was under the same pressure from the US when it was in power and yet, while allowing the import of beef from cattle aged under 30 months, it maintained the ban on pork containing ractopamine, he said.
“Is it so hard to acknowledge that they have erred, to admit to the public that their hands were tied?” he asked.
Lin said that as long as the DPP refuses to apologize for having double standards on the issue, the KMT would continue to block Su from presenting reports to the legislature.
Meanwhile, the KMT yesterday held a news conference in front of the Legislative Yuan to publicize the annual “Autumn Struggle” labor protest march tomorrow.
The news conference featured the party’s slogans against the import of US pork, black balloons and two model pigs.
Chiang urged those wishing to protest the pork issue to wear black at the march and to refrain from carrying anything that could be considered a political symbol.
“If you don’t take a stand now, you won’t be able to later. Don’t aid and abet despotism,” he said.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
A 79-year-old woman died today after being struck by a train at a level crossing in Taoyuan, police said. The woman, identified by her surname Wang (王), crossed the tracks even though the barriers were down in Jhongli District’s (中壢) Neili (內壢) area, the Taoyuan Branch of the Railway Police Bureau said. Surveillance footage showed that the railway barriers were lowered when Wang entered the crossing, but why she ventured onto the track remains under investigation, the police said. Police said they received a report of an incident at 6:41am involving local train No. 2133 that was heading from Keelung to Chiayi City. Investigators
RSS