Pro-independence political parties and affiliated groups yesterday formed an election alliance through which they seek to endorse candidates who pursue the alliance’s goal: to have the Constitution replaced with a new one that reflects Taiwan’s de facto independence.
At the alliance’s inauguration in Taipei — organized by Raymond Chuang (莊勝津), a California-based activist — members presented stickers that they said would be used to certify candidates who pursue the goal.
“We are all brave Taiwanese here and we should have courage to demand that a new Taiwanese nation be built,” Chuang said. “It is time that the ‘Republic of Taiwan’ replaces the Republic of China [ROC].”
Photo: Jason Pan, Taipei Times
Candidates endorsed by the alliance would strive for the replacement of the “obsolete” ROC framework, he said.
“So far no candidates running in next month’s regional elections for the two main parties — the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) — have gained endorsement,” he said.
This might be because of pressure from within the parties, he added.
“If some of them have the courage to make a declaration [that they seek to replace the Constitution], we welcome them to join our movement,” Chuang said.
So far, county councilor candidates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the New Power Party, as well as Lai Fang-cheng (賴芳徵), who is running as an independent in the mayoral race in Chiayi County’s Shueishang Township (水上鄉), have gained endorsement, Chuang said.
Lai — “a veteran of social movements” — is director of the Taiwan Independence Reformation Association and a former director of the Alliance of Plebiscite for Protecting Taiwan.
Lai said he is facing a tough race, as the DPP’s and KMT’s mayoral candidates in the township have more resources than him, including campaign trucks, and funds to set up large billboards, print pamphlets, and hire aides and staff to organize rallies and daily canvassing.
“Standing for election at the local level has made it even more clear that money talks in Taiwanese elections; you need tonnes of it,” he said, adding that this might lead to cash-strapped candidates assuming office, making them susceptible to corruption.
Before his campaign had even started, he had to deposit NT$120,000 to enter the township mayoral race, Lai said.
Township mayoral candidates and county councilor candidates often spend “millions of New Taiwan dollars” on their campaigns, he said.
This sum might rise 10-fold for those running for a seat in the legislature, and 100-fold for those running for city mayor or county commissioner, he added.
“Most candidates of the major parties, especially outside large cities, need to generate return on their investment so that they can run in the next election,” he said.
Free Taiwan Party founder Tsay Ting-kuei (蔡丁貴), Free Taiwan Party Chairman Lo Yi (羅宜), Taiwan Independence Party Chairman Peter Ku (古文發), Taiwanese National Party member Ted Lau (劉重義), Taiwanese-American independence advocate John Hsieh (謝鎮寬), Taiwan Republic Office Director Chilly Chen (陳峻涵) and delegates from the Nation-Building Forum and the Taiwan New Constitution Foundation also spoke at the event.
Thirty-five earthquakes have exceeded 5.5 on the Richter scale so far this year, the most in 14 years, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said on Facebook on Thursday. A large earthquake in Hualien County on April 3 released five times as much the energy as the 921 Earthquake on Sept. 21, 1999, the agency said in its latest earthquake report for this year. Hualien County has had the most national earthquake alerts so far this year at 64, with Yilan County second with 23 and Changhua County third with nine, the agency said. The April 3 earthquake was what caused the increase in
INTIMIDATION: In addition to the likely military drills near Taiwan, China has also been waging a disinformation campaign to sow division between Taiwan and the US Beijing is poised to encircle Taiwan proper in military exercise “Joint Sword-2024C,” starting today or tomorrow, as President William Lai (賴清德) returns from his visit to diplomatic allies in the Pacific, a national security official said yesterday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said that multiple intelligence sources showed that China is “highly likely” to launch new drills around Taiwan. Although the drills’ scale is unknown, there is little doubt that they are part of the military activities China initiated before Lai’s departure, they said. Beijing at the same time is conducting information warfare by fanning skepticism of the US and
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is unlikely to attempt an invasion of Taiwan during US president-elect Donald Trump’s time in office, Taiwanese and foreign academics said on Friday. Trump is set to begin his second term early next year. Xi’s ambition to establish China as a “true world power” has intensified over the years, but he would not initiate an invasion of Taiwan “in the near future,” as his top priority is to maintain the regime and his power, not unification, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University distinguished visiting professor and contemporary Chinese politics expert Akio Takahara said. Takahara made the comment at a
DEFENSE: This month’s shipment of 38 modern M1A2T tanks would begin to replace the US-made M60A3 and indigenous CM11 tanks, whose designs date to the 1980s The M1A2T tanks that Taiwan expects to take delivery of later this month are to spark a “qualitative leap” in the operational capabilities of the nation’s armored forces, a retired general told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) in an interview published yesterday. On Tuesday, the army in a statement said it anticipates receiving the first batch of 38 M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks from the US, out of 108 tanks ordered, in the coming weeks. The M1 Abrams main battle tank is a generation ahead of the Taiwanese army’s US-made M60A3 and indigenously developed CM11 tanks, which have
RSS