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Tsai wins in symbolic constituency

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/16
By: Justin Su and Y.F. Low

Taipei, Jan. 16 (CNA) Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate

Another polling station in Taipei.

Another polling station in Taipei.

Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) emerged Saturday as the winner in Jiande village in New Taipei’s Yingge District, a constituency seen as predicting the outcome of the election.

Tsai won 191 votes there, outnumbering the Kuomintang’s Eric Chu (朱立倫), who gained 100 votes, and People First Party candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜), who garnered just 59 votes. There were four invalid votes.

There are 481 eligible voters in the village, with the turnout rate standing at 73.59 percent.

By vote share, Tsai swept 54.6 percent of the votes, Chu 28.6 percent and Soong 16.9 percent.     [FULL  STORY]

Huang An Should Suffer Consequences Over Tzuyu Issue

EDITORIAL
Date: January 16, 2016
By:  The Publisher of Eye On Taiwan

Let me state up front that I am not a Taiwanese resident or citizen.  However, I respect and support the free and independent citizens of Taiwan.

I read about a 16 year old teenager Chou Tzuyu who was recently harassed by

her record company for displaying her country’s national flag.  She was coerced into apologizing to the Chinese people for doing it.

images

Huang An

What upset me most was what a 53 year old Taiwanese singer did to her.  The singer is Huang An.  He lives in Communist, dictatorial China and is apparently very popular there.  He apparently blew ms. Tzuyu in to her record company by protesting her actions.  Tzuyu was criticized by Huang An (黃安), who is based in China and has gained an online following there partly because of his strong stance against Taiwan independence.

Huang questioned why Tzuyu had not commented on the Taiwanese media reports, and referred to her as a supporter of Taiwan independence.

In a microblog on Sina Weibo, Huang urged his fans to stand against “anyone endorsed by Taiwanese independence supporters.”

In my opinion Huang An should be barred from ever returning to Taiwan even to attend a family funeral.  Furthermore, his passport and Taiwanese citizenship should be revoked immediately.  I hope that people will boycott his Mother’s restaurant in Taiwan.  He must learn that there are consequences for his disloyal actions to his country.  He should be reminded that many soldiers died so he could have the privilege to live in a free democratic country.  I say shame on him for he is a traitor.

 

Election results expected by 10 p.m.

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-15
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Results of the January 16 presidential and

Election results expected by 10 p.m. Sat. Central News Agency (2016-01-15 18:20:46)

Election results expected by 10 p.m. Sat. Central News Agency (2016-01-15 18:20:46)

legislative elections could be expected to be complete by 10 p.m. Saturday, the Central Election Commission said Friday.

An estimated 18 million people have the right to cast ballots in the election for a president and vice president, and for 113 members of the Legislative Yuan. Each voter will have three ballots, one for the presidential ticket, one for the local legislator, and one for a list of candidates drawn up by a political party.

The Legislature counts 73 members elected in single-seat districts, six members elected by indigenous people, and 34 at-large members from the party lists.

Voting will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and the expectation that the results will be known by 10 p.m. was more or the less the same as on the previous occasion, in 2012, the CEC said.     [FULL  STORY]

PFP’s Soong vows to form coalition government

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/15
By: Wang Cheng-chung and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Jan. 15 (CNA) People First Party (PFP) presidential candidate 64668355James Soong (宋楚瑜) said on the eve of Saturday’s elections that if elected, he will act at once to organize a big coalition government, which will be committed to rebuilding the people’s trust.

At a pep rally at Taipei Stadium, the 73-year-old veteran politician also said that he will promote a two-round voting system for the presidential election in the future to “let the president who wins half the of ballots lead the country.”     [FULL  STORY]

Ma mourns passing of former Taiwan comfort woman

Taiwan Today
Date: January 15, 2016

ROC President Ma Ying-jeou said Jan. 14 that he was deeply saddened by

President Ma Ying-jeou (right) and Cheng-Chen Tao share a moment during his 2011 visit to her home in Pingtung County of southern Taiwan. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)

President Ma Ying-jeou (right) and Cheng-Chen Tao share a moment during his 2011 visit to her home in Pingtung County of southern Taiwan. (Courtesy of Presidential Office)

the death of former comfort woman Cheng-Chen Tao and will continue working to achieve justice for Taiwan women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese during World War II.

“We will help these women preserve historical evidence in their fight for an apology and compensation from Japan,” Ma said. “Sadly, it is too late for Cheng-Chen, who left this world without getting her due.”

The president made the remarks after learning of the death of 94-year-old Cheng-Chen Jan. 11 in Pingtung County of southern Taiwan.

“Each of the many times I visited her, she treated me as warmly as my own mother,” Ma said. “We cannot let the suffering of such women be forgotten as this would be an even greater disgrace.”

Forcibly sent in the early 1940s at age 19 to the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, Cheng-Chen’s lifelong wish was to finish her interrupted high school education. Earlier this year, she was awarded an honorary diploma by National Tainan Girls’ Senior High School, the institution she once attended.     [FULL  STORY]

ELECTIONS: Reporter’s Notebook: Tsai’s campaign reveals lapses in security

RELAXED:Tsai Ing-wen’s supporters were allowed to approach her vehicle and give her bags with gifts in them, without her security personnel checking the bags first

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 16, 2016
By: Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter

While security measures to protect Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)

A man is asked by a security guard to leave after climbing on a Democratic Progressive Party truck in Chiayi County’s Singang Township on Monday. Photo: Loa Iok-sin, TaipeI Times

A man is asked by a security guard to leave after climbing on a Democratic Progressive Party truck in Chiayi County’s Singang Township on Monday. Photo: Loa Iok-sin, TaipeI Times

presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) were said to have been tightened amid speculations of potential security threats, loopholes in security still existed that might have put Tsai at risk.

On Monday, as Tsai, walked out of the Fengtian Temple (奉天宮) in Chiayi County’s Singang Township (新港) after a religious ceremony and was about to climb onto the back of a pick-up truck with bullet proof glass cabin to tour the township with a motorcade, a man in a red jacket, carrying a camera, came out of nowhere and climbed onto the vehicle, shocking journalists standing on a media truck awaiting Tsai’s arrival.

“What is he doing?” “Who is that guy?” “What are the security officers doing?” The journalists who witnessed what just happened asked among themselves.
The man was immediately pulled down from the truck by police and National Security Bureau (NSB) officers and, without question, the officers set him free when he got down from the car.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s choice for change

Taiwan News
Editorial
Date: 2016-01-14
By: Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Politicians running for election always want you to believe that the next 6728643election is historic, a unique opportunity for change, a time to make your voice heard and change the fate of your country.

In 1996, after numerous other types of elections, Taiwanese voters received the first-ever opportunity to choose their own head-of-state. The result was a vote of confidence in incumbent President Lee Teng-hui, who received more votes than his three various opponents put together, partly thanks to intimidation from China in the shape of missile tests.

On the second occasion however, voters opted for change, for the first time voting a representative of the Democratic Progressive Party into office. Chen Shui-bian narrowly defeated independent James Soong, while the candidate of the government, Vice President Lien Chan, finished a distant third. A clearer message for change was not possible.     [FULL  STORY]

Premier asks gov’t agencies to secure social order

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/01/14
By Tai Ya-chen and Romulo Huang

Taipei, Jan. 14 (CNA) Prime Minister Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) directed the

CNA file photo

CNA file photo

Ministry of the Interior and other government agencies on Thursday to duly implement programs for maintaining social order and the security of related government offices ahead of and after the upcoming Jan. 16 presidential and legislative elections.

After hearing reports presented by the interior ministry on the prevention and control of election-related violences and the maintenance of social order at the weekly Cabinet meeting, Mao urged the ministry and other related government agencies to fully implement the programs and enhance emergency preparedness.

The ministry said in the reports that it has mobilized a total of 199,796 person-times of police officers and civilians to maintain order at 4,028 campaign rallies and demonstrations from Oct. 1 of last year to Jan. 10 around the nation.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan launches e-Visa program for foreign tourists

Taiwan Today
Date: January 14, 2016

An electronic visa system streamlining travel document processing and

The ROC government’s new e-Visa website serves as a single window for handling travel applications of foreign visitors. (Courtesy of MOFA)

The ROC government’s new e-Visa website serves as a single window for handling travel applications of foreign visitors. (Courtesy of MOFA)

enhancing security for inbound Taiwan tourists was launched Jan. 12 by the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The one-stop service on a dedicated MOFA website allows for the completion of the e-Visa form, submission of the application and payment of related fees.

A total of 27 countries are included in the first phase of the program. They are Brunei, Macedonia and Turkey, which already enjoy landing-visa privileges in Taiwan; Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, which offer ROC citizens visa-waiver treatment; as well as 21 of the ROC’s diplomatic allies, except the Holy See.

Lo Tien-hung, deputy director-general of the MOFA Bureau of Consular Affairs, said the initiative is available to travelers from the designated countries for the purposes of business, tourism or short visits with family members.     [FULL  STORY]

China urged to respect election result

CALM AND DIALOGUE:White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said that the US would respect the result of tomorrow’s polls and Beijing should do the same

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 15, 2016
By: William Lowther / Staff reporter in WASHINGTON

A senior US official has called on China to respect the result of Taiwan’s

White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes speaks to the media during a press conference in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: CNA

White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes speaks to the media during a press conference in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: CNA

presidential and legislative elections.

“We believe in the context of the election that China, like the United States — like any other country observing this — will want to see the election play out and respect the result,” White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said on Wednesday.

He was speaking at a special foreign media briefing on US President Barack Obama’s foreign policy priorities.

Rhodes had been asked — with the elections just three days away — what message he wanted to convey to both sides of the Taiwan Strait.     [FULL  STORY]