Advocates to recall Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers in central Taiwan yesterday went to the Central Election Commission’s (CEC) office in Taipei to collect petition forms for the second stage of their recall campaign.
As of yesterday, 32 recall proposals against KMT lawmakers, two against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Nantou County councilors and one against suspended Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) had passed their first-phase review.
Campaigners yesterday picked up second-stage petition forms to recall KMT lawmakers based in Taichung, Yunlin County and Changhua County; namely, Ting Hsueh-chung (丁學忠), Yen Kuan-heng (顏寬恒), Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔), Liao Wei-hsiang (廖偉翔), Huang Chien-hao (黃健豪) and Lo Ting-wei (羅廷瑋).
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The second stage of the petition to recall KMT Changhua County Legislator Hsieh Yi-feng (謝衣鳳) would not begin until Friday next week, as campaigners have not yet collected petition forms.
Dentist Shih Shu-hua (史書華), head of the campaign to recall New Taipei City KMT Legislator Yeh Yuan-chih (葉元之), also picked up second-stage petition sheets from the CEC yesterday.
Twelve recall petitions against DPP lawmakers failed to meet the required signatures for the first stage, but KMT Youth League member Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) yesterday submitted 2,637 supplementary signatures for the recall of DPP Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶).
Meanwhile, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) and attorney Huang Di-ying (黃帝穎) yesterday at the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office filed charges against the KMT for including petition signatures of dead people.
In response, Lee said that recall groups could not know whether a petitioner is dead or alive solely from their signature.
The CEC in a statement reiterated that local household registration offices are responsible for reviewing such reports and identifying petition signatures of dead people.
Their review results would next be handed to local election committees for initial review, with confirmed cases reported to the CEC for final review, it said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust