Independent presidential hopefuls who collect enough signatures to qualify for the Jan. 13 presidential election would not be in contravention of the law if they drop out as long as they have not registered their candidacy with the Central Election Commission (CEC) as a candidate, CEC Chairperson Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) said yesterday.
Independent presidential hopefuls and their running mates, who are required to pass a petition threshold to qualify, can register as petition initiators with the CEC from today until Sunday, and can submit signatures from Tuesday next week to Nov. 2, the CEC said.
The results of the petitions would be announced by Nov. 14, it added.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
On whether independent presidential hopefuls who have launched a petition for candidacy would be in contravention of Article 30 of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act (總統副總統選舉罷免法) if they later decide to pull out of the race, Lee said: “If they do not register, withdrawal is not an issue. If they have registered, then withdrawal is out of the question.”
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) last month announced his presidential bid, but has yet to announce his running mate.
Asked if independent presidential aspirants are legally liable if they abandon their campaign after submitting signatures to the commission, Lee said such an action would not be an infraction, as that would just mean they have forfeited the opportunity to register as presidential candidates.
“The decision of whether or not aspirants register as candidates falls within their civil right to participate in political affairs, and the CEC shall respect that decision,” CEC Vice Chairperson Chen Chao-chien (陳朝建) added.
“However, once they have registered as candidates under the act, they cannot withdraw their candidacy,” he said.
Candidates nominated by parties or independent candidates who collect enough signatures to qualify as candidates in the presidential election are required to register from Nov. 20 to 24.
Under the act, independent presidential hopefuls must obtain 289,667 signatures, or 1.5 percent of eligible voters in the previous presidential election, to qualify as candidates.
Those who attempt to “negotiate other candidates out” of the election by promising or giving them bribes or other undue benefits risk a prison term of three to 10 years and a fine of NT$2 million to NT$20 million (US$62,438 to US$624,376) under the act, Chen said.
Those who attempt to bribe eligible voters to petition for or against a presidential hopeful face a prison term of one to seven years and a fine of NT$1 million to NT$10 million, he said.
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS