The Central Election Commission (CEC) has warned voters against wearing masks bearing campaign messages while heading to the polls in Saturday’s local elections, saying that those who do so could be fined at least NT$500,000 (US$16,041).
Wearing such masks would be considered a contravention of the rules banning all kinds of campaign activities and electioneering on election day, commission Chairman Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) said in response to media queries last week.
A commission official later said that any suspected contravention of the rules would be referred to the CEC for investigation and those found guilty could face a fine of NT$500,000 to NT$5 million.
Photo: CNA
Voters are to choose 11,000 local officials and councilors at all levels of local government, and cast their ballots for a referendum on lowering the legal voting age and the minimum age of candidacy to 18.
In related news, the commission on Friday said that a legislative by-election would be held on Jan. 8 next year to fill the seat left vacant by Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), who resigned as legislator on Nov. 10 to focus on his Taipei mayoral election campaign.
The registration period for the by-election is to run from Monday next week to Dec. 2, the commission said.
Photo: CNA
Chiang of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) formerly represented the Zhongshan (中山)-Northern Songshan (北松山) electoral district in Taipei and is the KMT’s candidate for Taipei mayor.
According to Article 73-1 of the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), a legislative by-election must be held within three months of a legislator’s resignation unless there is less than a year remaining in their legislative term.
Chiang’s legislative term is to end on Jan. 31, 2024.
HOT-SPRING RETREAT: A hotel in Japan incurred a loss of about US$1,846 after a Taiwanese man failed to show up for his reservation due to a misunderstood message A Taiwanese man who failed to show up for a hotel reservation in Japan has apologized and offered compensation, the hotel said yesterday. The man, surnamed Lee (李), reserved a room at the Yufuin Tsubaki hot-spring hotel in Oita for the Lunar New Year holiday, but failed to show up on Friday. Lee yesterday called the hotel to apologize and offered to compensate the losses caused by his failure to show up, a hotel employee surnamed Yashiro said. Lee’s wife also called on Sunday to apologize, she said. Lee had booked a two-night stay with upscale seafood and beef meals, the hotel said. His
Two Taiwanese Americans were among those killed in a mass shooting at a dance studio in Monterey Park, California, on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles (TECO LA) said it contacted local authorities, who confirmed that two of the 11 killed in the shooting were Taiwanese Americans. “TECO LA conveys our heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families, and sends our prayers to the injured for a speedy recovery,” it said in a statement. The office said it is assisting the relatives of one of the victims to travel from
A senior US senator on Monday questioned the willingness of some US allies to help defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. Although Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) expects the US and Japan to respond in a war in the Taiwan Strait, he was “a little less confident what our other allies would do,” US Senator John Cornyn said. Australia and New Zealand have voiced support for Taiwan, but it “is a far cry from committing troops to repel an invasion,” Cornyn said during a discussion on China, Russia and the state of US military readiness at a forum hosted
Whisky connoisseurs are a rapidly growing demographic in Taiwan, driving prices ever higher as collectors vie for the most coveted editions. Although not a new pastime, whisky collection has been picking up steam in recent years. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, Taiwan was the third-largest buyer of Scotch whisky in 2021 in monetary terms. One collector, surnamed Fu (傅), said there are many types of whisky that are ripe for collecting. One that has skyrocketed in price in recent years is the Macallan 12-year-old Gran Reserva, which bears a striking purple label, said Fu, who has more than 10 years of experience as
RSS