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.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
RSS