Radio Taiwan International 
Date: 26 November, 2018
By: Andrew Ryan

Premier William Lai held a press conference on Monday to explain how the

government will respond to Saturday’s local elections. That’s after the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) emerged with major losses throughout Taiwan. He said that a Cabinet shuffle is also likely, when the time is right.

The party started off the night with control of 13 of the nation’s 22 cities and counties, but finished with control of just six. Analysts say the election was a referendum on the last two years of President Tsai Ing-wen’s first two years in office.

Premier Lai tendered his resignation following Saturday’s elections, but the president decided to keep him in the post.

“I discussed it again with the president yesterday, but in the end I decided to stay on [as premier],” said Lai.    [FULL  STORY]

The emphasis on the tangible costs of abandoning the ‘Chinese Taipei’ Olympic name appears to have won over voters unable to identify the benefits of trying to compete as ‘Taiwan’.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/11/26
By: Timothy S. Rich

Much of the attention on Taiwan’s local elections has focused on the success of the Kuomintang (KMT) and the poor performance of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Although the claims of a “Blue wave” may be overstated once one moves beyond the high profile executive races (see here), the organization of conservative interests in regards to the five referendums regarding same-sex marriage is difficult to ignore.

However, less attention fell on another one of the referendums presented to Taiwanese voters on Saturday, a question about Taiwan’s name. While Taiwanese still have not had the opportunity to vote on whether the country should formally change its name from the Republic of China to something more Taiwan-centric, a vote that would surely inflame relations with China and likely lead to military conflict, Saturday’s election did allow for a public vote regarding the name Taiwan uses in the Olympics.

Changes in Taiwan’s referendum law in December 2017 not only made it easier to get referendums on the national ballot but also lowered the threshold for a referendum to be considered valid, now down to 25 percent of the electorate. As such, local elections witnessed 10 referendums on the ballot, compared to six previous ones since a referendum law passed in 2003.

Referendum Number 13 asked, “Do you agree to the use of “Taiwan” when participating in all international sport competitions, including the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics? (你是否同意，以「台灣」(Taiwan) 為全名申請參加所有國際運動賽事及2020年東京奧運?)    [FULL  STORY]

 

Following the KMT stalwart’s successful attempt to reinvent himself as a populist, Kaohsiung must now live with the consequences

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/11/25
By: David Spencer, Taiwan News, Contributing Writer

KAOHSIUNG (Taiwan News) — As the results of Saturday’s local elections began to be announced, Kaohsiung, a city which became a symbolic battle ground during this hugely polarized election cycle, bore witness to two extreme emotions.

At the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters on WuFu Road, there was a mixture of shock, disbelief, and despair. After their Mayoral candidate, Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) took to the stage erected outside and, against a plain black background and conceded defeat to the KMTs Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), many people drifted quickly away.

Others stayed to console each other and watch on TV as their party leader, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), accepted responsibility for the defeat and resigned. In just a few hours, their world had turned upside down. After 20 years in City Hall, beginning on December 25th, Kaohsiung will no longer be a DPP city.

Many younger supporters had never experienced a lost local election before and they weren’t enjoying it. They were disconsolate and even the KMT supporters who were provocatively letting off fireworks nearby couldn’t rouse them.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/11/26
By: Lee Hsin-Yin

Taipei, Nov. 26 (CNA) EVA Airways, one of Taiwan’s leading airlines, confirmed

Monday that flight BR27 from San Francisco to Taoyuan struck a bird shortly after it departed and returned to the airport as a precaution.

All of the 168 passengers were safe, the airline said.

The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which took off at 0:14 a.m., had birds get caught in its No. 1 engine, EVA Air said, but it declined to give the exact time when the incident took place.

The pilot followed standard operating procedures to check the aircraft and determined that nothing was broken and decided to return to San Francisco as a safety precaution, EVA Air said.    [FULL  STORY]

Reuters
Date: November 25, 2018

TAIPEI/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Chinese state media heaped pressure on Taiwan

President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday after her ruling pro-independence party suffered heavy defeats at local elections at the weekend, saying Beijing would seek cooperation with newly elected officials.

Tsai resigned on Saturday as chairwoman of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) after losing key battleground cities in mayoral polls to the China-friendly Kuomintang. The DPP now only controls six cities and counties to the Kuomintang’s 15.

Han Kuo-yu, the Kuomintang’s mayor-elect in the southern port city of Kaohsiung and the most high profile of the party’s winners, said he would open the door to contacts with China.    [FULL  STORY]

President Tsai Ing-wen should summon up the courage to be the progressive Taiwan’s young voters put into power in 2016, or risk the collapse of the DPP’s reform project.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/11/26
By: Roy Ngerng

Taiwan’s local election results are a shock to the progressives.

Like in the United States, a two-party system has led to the majority of voters swinging from one party to another as a form of punishment to the ruling party.

It is not that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had performed that badly. Under the DPP, unemployment has gone down to its lowest in 18 years, average wages have grown to be higher than that of 2000 for the first time, and Taiwan’s businesses are returning to Taiwan, as shown by falling investments in China over the last two years, partly fueled by the trade wars spearheaded by the Trump administration.

However, none of these factors have been felt by the average Taiwanese. Unemployment might have dropped, but many youths have also left for overseas jobs, and wages continue to be low, as compared to the other Asian Tigers. For a Taiwanese population who remembers being on par with South Korea, it is not acceptable that they have fallen behind.    [FULL  STORY]

Mag Hsu and Hsu Chih-yen recognized at the Hong Kong Film Festival 2018

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/11/26
By: Scott Morgan, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwanese directors Mag Hsu (徐譽庭) and Hsu Chih-yen (許智彥) were presented with the best new director award at the Hong Kong Film Festival 2018 today, for their acclaimed film “Dear Ex” (誰先愛上他的), reported CNA.

“Dear Ex” was met with unexpected interest throughout the film festival, with organizers putting on two additional showings to meet public interest.

The film was nominated for eight awards at the 55th Golden Horse Awards, also known as the “Chinese Oscars,” and won three. Hsieh Ying-hsuan (謝盈萱) was named Best Leading Actress, and “Dear Ex” also won Best Original Film Song, and best Film Editing awards.

“Dear Ex” was recognized in Hong Kong for the film’s moving script, outstanding directing technique, and superb acting, reported CNA.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/11/25
By: Shih Hsiu-chuan, Yu Hsiao-han and Wu Hsin-yun

Taipei, Nov. 25 (CNA) The results of Saturday’s referendums on equal marriage rights for the gay community has been interpreted by some as a resounding rejection of same-sex marriage by Taiwanese society, but gay rights activists say the campaign was heavily skewed in favor of the anti-gay rights camp.

“It is an indication that the position of Taiwan society is that same-sex marriage is unacceptable,” Chen Ko (陳科), secretary-general of Chinese Regional Bishops’ Conference told CNA Sunday.

Of the five questions regarding same sex issues, three reached the required threshold of more than 4.94 million “yes” votes, a quarter of eligible voters.

One of the questions asked if people agree that marriage should be restricted to being between a man and a woman as described under the Civil Code. A total of 7.66 million people agreed, 2.91 million disagreed.    [FULL  STORY]