Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) yesterday said that he would attend a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rally in Taipei today, drawing criticism from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which said he was failing to keep a neutral stance.
The KMT has organized a rally on Ketagalan Boulevard to “protect democracy” and oppose President William Lai (賴清德).
Alongside Han, other top KMT figures, including Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安), New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) and Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) have confirmed that they would attend the rally, as has Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌).
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
Prosecutors are only pursuing charges against KMT members over alleged signature fraud in campaigns to recall legislators, casting doubt on the impartiality of the judiciary, Han said, referring to investigations as the KMT and the DPP run campaigns targeting lawmakers on the other side of the aisle.
The recall movements are one of “three knives hanging over the heads” of the public, along with US tariff policies and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) military exercises, he said.
KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) has accused Lai of using the DPP’s recall efforts to institute a “dictatorship” and “eliminate the KMT,” adding that if his plans succeed, Lai would become “like an emperor.”
DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) said the rally has become a power struggle among KMT heavyweights fighting for control of the party.
“This KMT rally has the wrong target if it really does seek to ‘fight dictatorship,’” Wu said.
“Why would it protest on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building, not in Tiananmen Square?” she asked.
Taiwan has freedom and democracy, so if the KMT wants to fight dictatorship, it should protest in Beijing against the CCP dictatorship there, she added.
She also criticized Han.
“The Constitution grants Taiwanese the right to recall unsuitable politicians and the Legislative Yuan should respect their right to do so,” Wu said.
“As legislative speaker, Han should keep a neutral stance, and facilitate the examination and approval of legislation to enhance national security,” she said.
It is a lawmaker’s duty to improve the nation’s legal framework to protect it against Chinese militarism, which is undermining regional peace,” she added.
DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) reiterated the stance that the speaker should be neutral and non-partisan.
Han’s announcement that he would participate in the rally today and his attacks on Taiwan’s judicial system show that he is unable to fulfill the responsibilities of the role, he said.
Additional reporting by Huang Cheng-chia and Lee Wen-hsin
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS