Politics

Tsai will respect caucus’ choice

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 28, 2016
By Tsou Ching-wen and Tseng Wei-chen / Staff reporters

While president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said she would respect the

From left to right, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Ming-wen, Legislator Ker Chien-ming and legislator-elect Su Jia-chyuan yesterday attend the party’s Central Standing Committee meeting in Taipei. Photos: Taipei Times and CNA

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus’ choice of legislative speaker for the incoming legislature, it has been widely predicted that DPP legislator-elect Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) is likely to be named to the role.

Tsai yesterday reaffirmed her stance on speaker selection as she attended a DPP caucus meeting at the Legislative Yuan, which media described as her supervising selection, but Tsai said her attendance at the first meeting of a new caucus was routine.

She urged caucus members to live up to the public’s expectations and spend time reviewing bills and focusing on transparency, reform, unity and public participation.

“Whether the reshuffled Cabinet, led by incoming premier Simon Chang (張善政), is of a caretaker nature or not, it should perform its duties and the DPP caucus should participate in its supervisory role while respecting the newly appointed Cabinet to help stabilize the political situation,” Tsai said. [FULL STORY]

Tsai urged to make TPP entry No. 1 external goal

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 27, 2016
By: William Lowther / Staff reporter in WASHINGTON

President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) must make membership of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) her primary external goal, US-Taiwan Business Council president Rupert Hammond-Chambers said.

“Taiwan’s over-reliance on China must be addressed and access to the world’s most important multilateral trade initiative could play a key role,” Hammond-Chambers said.

Trade ministers from the 12 nations that have agreed to join the TPP are to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday next week in Auckland, New Zealand, and Taiwan’s potential membership might be discussed at that level for the first time.

Preparations for joining the partnership could act as a catalyst for much-needed domestic trade and economic reforms, Hammond-Chambers wrote in an essay published this week by Washington political newspaper The Hill.

“Membership could afford Taiwan renewed engagement with the TPP member countries, thereby boosting relationships with its Asia-Pacific neighbors,” he wrote. [FULL STORY]

Executive Yuan to review controversial policies Wednesday

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-26
By: Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Vice Premier Simon Chang, who is slated to assume the position of premier, Tuesday asked each ministry and council to submit a list of important or controversial policies for review on Wednesday.

On Monday President Ma Ying-jeou appointed Chang as premier.

Executive Yuan spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun said each ministry and council is submitting its important policies, which will be reviewed by National Development Council Minister Duh Tyzz-jiun and responsible ministers without portfolio before deciding on the next step forward.

Sun said the Trans-Pacific Partnership and a trade-in-goods agreement with China are both included in the list, which will be under overall reconsideration.

Ko Wen-je backs ‘friends of Japan’ alliance

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 27, 2016
By: Sean Lin and Chang Mao-sen / Staff reporters

Taipei City councilors are to form a nonpartisan “friends of Japan” alliance to

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, second right, walks through a fish market in Tokyo yesterday. Photo: CNA

deepen mutual ties on a city level, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said, while his Japan policies would be similar to those expected of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).

Ko made the remarks yesterday in response to media queries about whether the hospitality he had received from Japanese dignitaries since arriving in Tokyo on Sunday meant he would endeavor to further relations between Taiwan and Japan, given warm receptions received by himself and Tsai.

He said he hopes that Taipei and Tokyo would boost their level of exchanges with the establishment of the cross-party alliance, thereby improving bilateral ties between the two nations.

DPP Taipei City councilor Liu Yao-jen (劉耀仁), a member of Ko’s delegation, said Japan’s mentality toward Taiwan had “changed for the better” thanks to the shift in political power after the presidential election on Jan. 16, while the DPP Taipei City Council caucus would seek to build on the newfound momentum to further mutual exchanges by lobbying for the establishment of the alliance. [FULL STORY]

Ma taps Chang San-cheng for ROC premier

Taiwan News
Date: Taiwan Today
Date: January 26, 2016

ROC President Ma Ying-jeou named Vice Premier Chang San-cheng as premier

Newly appointed Premier Chang San-cheng discusses the priorities of the Cabinet during a media conference Jan. 25 in Taipei City. (UDN)

Jan. 25, tasking him with maintaining the Cabinet’s strong performance and ensuring the continued deliverance of good governance.

“Chang is a highly committed and respected member of the Cabinet with a proven track in the private sector,” Presidential Office spokesman Charles Chen said. “After commencing duties Feb. 1 on the same day the new Legislature is sworn in, he will ensure everything runs smoothly until President-elect Tsai Ing-wen takes office May 20.”

Some of Chang’s accomplishments as vice premier include implementing key economic policies spanning big data, cloud computing, government open data, Internet of Things and third-party online payment. “His capabilities are widely recognized and appreciated by society,” Chen said.

Chang replaces Mao Chi-kuo, who led the Cabinet in an en masse resignation Jan. 16 after the ruling Kuomintang lost the legislative and presidential elections the same day. Sources familiar with the issue tip National Development Council Minister Duh Tizz-jiun, also minister without portfolio and governor of Fujian Province, to become vice premier. [FULL STORY]

KMT nominates speaker candidates

WHERE TO, WANG?KMT whip Lai Shyh-bao said outgoing Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng’s future role was not discussed, adding that he is expected to keep helping

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 27, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday nominated outgoing

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Lai Shyh-bao, right, and KMT legislator-elect William Tseng shake hands at party headquarters in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

party caucus whip Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) as its candidate for the legislative speakership, while it nominated legislator-elect William Tseng (曾銘宗) as deputy speaker.

The KMT caucus reached a consensus at a meeting at KMT headquarters in Taipei, which was attended by 28 of the party’s 35 legislators who won seats in the elections on Jan. 16.

“Two plans were discussed at the meeting. One was that the caucus put forward its own candidates for the speakership and deputy speakership and the other was that we allow lawmakers to vote for themselves,” Lai said on the sidelines of the meeting.

Lai said the legislators in attendance opted for the first plan and agreed to select candidates based on seniority. [FULL STORY]

New premier announces small Cabinet reshuffle

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-25
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taiwan’s new premier, Simon Chang, announced a small shuffle of his Cabinet at a press conference on Monday, the same day he was appointed premier by President Ma Ying-jeou, vowing to stick to their posts and communicate with the new government until the completion of the power transition in May.

In the reshuffle, National Development Council Minister Duh Tyzz-jiun will take Chang’s position as vice primer; Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Lin Chu-chia will head the National Development Council; Vice Chairperson of the Financial supervisory Commission Wang Li-ling will take the post as the commission’s chairperson; and Vice Minister of Agriculture Chen Tze-ching will head the Council of Agriculture.

Presidential Office spokesperson Charles Chen said Ma has approved resignation of Premier Mao Chi-kuo and appointed Chang, the current vice premier, as the new premier. [FULL STORY]

Forum calls on Tsai to support ‘1992 consensus’

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 26, 2016
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter

President-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of the Democratic Progressive Party

President-elect Tsai Ing-wen waves to reporters yesterday in Taipei, while on her way to the Democratic Progressive Party headquarters. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

(DPP) should come out in support of the so-called “1992 consensus” during her inaugural address, panelists at discussions organized by the Taiwan Competitiveness Forum said yesterday in Taipei.

“The current state of affairs is that voters should be willing to make allowances for what the DPP does, so we hope that Tsai will use this to break through a lot of barriers, including the ‘1992 consensus,’” forum chairman Hsieh Ming-hui (謝明輝) said. “While for the Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT], recognition of the consensus was probably viewed as ‘selling out the nation,’ for Tsai to recognize it would be viewed as being for the good of the country.”

The “1992 consensus” refers to a supposed understanding reached during cross-strait talks in 1992 that Taiwan and China acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what that means. Former KMT lawmaker Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 said that he had made up the term in 2000, when he was head of the Mainland Affairs Council, before the KMT handed power to the DPP. [FULL STORY]

Ma appoints Simon Chang as premier

EASY RIDE?When asked why he took the role, the former vice premier said that the DPP had promised it would not give Cabinet members a tough time

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 26, 2016
By: Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter

President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday appointed Vice Premier Simon

Vice Premier Simon Chang, second left, announces at the Executive Yuan in Taipei yesterday that he is to take over as premier of the new caretaker government, while National Development Council Minister Woody Duh, right, is to become the new vice premier. Photo: CNA

Chang (張善政) as the new premier after Ma signed off on outgoing Premier Mao Chi-kuo’s (毛治國) resignation.

“Premier Mao has led his Cabinet members to resign en masse. After thorough consideration, President Ma has decided to sign off on Mao’s resignation and appoint Chang as his successor,” Presidential Office spokesman Charles Chen (陳以信) said in a statement yesterday.

Chen said that while it is the president’s mandate to appoint a premier without the legislature’s approval, Ma is obligated by a consensus reached between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) when an amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1997 to respect the majority party in the legislature and appoint a premier it accepts to prevent the government from running idle.

To adhere to this principle, Chen said Ma tried to contact DPP Chairperson and president-elect Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday to discuss Mao’s successor, but Tsai was occupied with other matters. [FULL STORY]

Tsai arrives in Taichung to thank supporters for their votes

Taiwan News
Date: 2016-01-24
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

President-elect Tsai Ing-wen on Sunday credited the city of Taichung for achieving a landslide feat in the legislative election last weekend, citing a 10 percent increase in votes over the previous race in 2012.

“The victory tells us that the people have a lot to expect from the new government…hoping that we can help bring the nation forward,” Tsai said.

Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party and its coalition partner the New Power Party (NPP) won resounding victories in most of its competitive races, from Hualien to Taipei, Taichung to New Taipei. Combining forces with the NPP helped the DPP win 3 seats in Taipei, which has been a historically difficult area for the DPP. Even candidates with deep KMT support lost in the polls.

Accompanied by vice-president-elect Chen Chien-jen and Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung, she made the comments after arriving to Taichung in the morning to thank supporters for their votes. [FULL STORY]

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