Taiwan Statebuilding Party Legislator Chen Po-wei’s (陳柏惟) bid to avoid being recalled yesterday received a boost from medical professionals led by former Democratic Progressive Party legislator Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀).
“We have collected more than 100 signatures from medical professionals who endorse Chen,” said Lin, a gynecologist.
“Most of them are based in Taichung or central Taiwan, while some are from other regions,” she said.
Photo courtesy of Chen Po-wei’s service center via CNA
The vote to recall Chen from his constituency — Taichung’s second electoral district — is to be held on Oct. 23.
People at yesterday’s event in the city’s Wurih District (烏日) held signs with slogans such as: “We oppose the revenge recall and support 3Q,” a nickname for Chen.
Other signs read: “Reject vilification — defend values of democracy.”
Lin said that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is attempting to “assassinate Chen’s character.”
“The KMT has distorted the facts and is circulating misinformation to portray Chen as a bad person, painting a highly negative image to mislead voters,” she said.
“The KMT’s smear campaign has perverted the politics of our democratic society,” she said.
Chen is an earnest and hardworking legislator with a 100 percent attendance record at legislative sessions and committee meetings, Lin said, adding that his office has handled more than 2,300 requests from members of the public over the past two years.
Chen broke down in tears while speaking at the event.
Chien Chen-yu (錢震宇) — a spokesman for Sean Lien (連勝文), who is vice chairman of the KMT-affiliated National Policy Foundation — on Friday accused Chen of financial impropriety.
Chen owns a property in Kaohsiung and there has been a “big surge” in his savings, which have increased to NT$4.41 million (US$157,242) over the past year, Chien said.
Chen said that most of his savings come from election subsidies, which are paid to legislative candidates who garner a certain share of the votes in their district, as well as from a former job in the movie production sector.
“I am in my mid-30s. Having this much savings and owning property is not unusual at my age,” he said.
A tropical depression in waters east of the Philippines could develop into a tropical storm as soon as today and bring rainfall as it approaches, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, while issuing heat warnings for 14 cities and counties. Weather model simulations show that there are still considerable differences in the path that the tropical depression is projected to take. It might pass through the Bashi Channel to the South China Sea or turn northeast and move toward the sea south of Japan, CWA forecaster Yeh Chih-chun (葉致均) said, adding that the uncertainty of its movement is still high,
TAIWANESE INNOVATION: The ‘Seawool’ fabric generates about NT$200m a year, with the bulk of it sourced by clothing brands operating in Europe and the US Growing up on Taiwan’s west coast where mollusk farming is popular, Eddie Wang saw discarded oyster shells transformed from waste to function — a memory that inspired him to create a unique and environmentally friendly fabric called “Seawool.” Wang remembered that residents of his seaside hometown of Yunlin County used discarded oyster shells that littered the streets during the harvest as insulation for their homes. “They burned the shells and painted the residue on the walls. The houses then became warm in the winter and cool in the summer,” the 42-year-old said at his factory in Tainan. “So I was
THE TOUR: Pope Francis has gone on a 12-day visit to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. He was also invited to Taiwan The government yesterday welcomed Pope Francis to the Asia-Pacific region and said it would continue extending an invitation for him to visit Taiwan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the remarks as Pope Francis began a 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific on Monday. He is to travel about 33,000km by air to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, and would arrive back in Rome on Friday next week. It would be the longest and most challenging trip of Francis’ 11-year papacy. The 87-year-old has had health issues over the past few years and now uses a wheelchair. The ministry said
Discounted 72-hour Taipei Metro passes are to be offered to China Airlines passengers until Feb. 28 next year, the airline announced today. China Airlines passengers may present their boarding pass for a discount of up to 34 percent when buying a Taipei Metro 72-hour unlimited travel pass. The offer is available to international travelers on international flights bound for Taipei. Within seven days of arrival, travelers can present their boarding pass, passport and proof of flight payment at an EZfly counter in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport or Taoyuan MRT Taipei Main Station to obtain the discounted passes, the airline said. One 72-hour pass
RSS