The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) referendum campaigns against the abolition of the death penalty and martial law are designed to deceive the public and shift focus away from the ongoing recall movement, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said yesterday.
KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday announced that his party would launch a campaign to hold referendums opposing the abolition of the death penalty and what he said was a push toward martial law and war by the DPP.
“KMT is misleading people, saying they are fighting against martial law. Are they joking? President William Lai [賴清德] had already said Taiwan must not go back to live under martial law,” Ker told a news briefing in the legislature yesterday.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
“It is the KMT who long for the past, wishing for the return of martial law in Taiwan, but they accuse Lai of wanting to do so. KMT officials are distorting the truth and continue to try to deceive the public,” he added. The purpose “is to confuse people and shift focus away from the ongoing recall movement.”
The Constitutional Court in September last year ruled that capital punishment is valid in some murder cases, he said, adding that judicial authorities had administered the death sentence in January for a convicted murderer.
“So, it is very clear that capital punishment is still on the books, but the KMT still wants to push this referendum,” he said.
Separately, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) said Chu last month declared that KMT legislators would focus on bills concerning people’s livelihood, economy and social welfare programs.
“But now, they are taking up efforts and resources to push for these two non-existent issues,” Wu said.
Some legal experts said the KMT’s proposals could not be valid, as the government did not abolish capital punishment or impose martial law.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3
RSS