Politics

Tsai taking poor people’s money, KMT caucus says

Taipei Times
Date:  Dec 22, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday blasted Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) piggy bank campaign, calling it a greedy scheme to fill Tsai’s already full pockets.

Former KMT legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) told a news conference at the legislature that it was preposterous for Tsai to launch a donation scheme to ask for money from impoverished people, when Tsai and her family have allegedly reaped billions of New Taiwan dollars in profit from land speculation.

“Tsai has paid lip service to housing justice. Last year, when campaigning for then-DPP Taoyuan mayoral candidate Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), Tsai said the government should not serve as an accomplice for land speculators. Now the culprit could become [the leader of] our government next year,” Chiu said.    [FULL  STORY]

DPP to file another libel lawsuit against KMT legislators

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-21
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Democratic Progressive Party spokesperson Juan Chao-hsiung disclosed

DPP to file another libel lawsuit against KMT.

DPP to file another libel lawsuit against KMT.

that it will file another libel lawsuit against Kuomintang Legislator Alicia Wang and former KMT legislator Chiu Yi, alleging a false accusation, in which DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen was also mentioned regarding a false accusation, reports said Monday.

KMT legislators continued with their intention to defame Tsai through a press conference in the morning alleging that she and her brother made improper profits from real-estate speculation in Neihu back in the late 90s.

The spokesperson said the party is pressing charges against the two KMT politicians under Article 90 of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act.     [FULL  STORY]

Wang says Tsai has not protected women’s rights

Taipei Times
Date:  Dec 21, 2015
By: Stacy Hsu  /  Staff reporter

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) vice presidential candidate Jennifer Wang

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) vice presidential candidate Jennifer Wang, second left, learns a folk dance gesture while attending a rally with immigrant residents in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) vice presidential candidate Jennifer Wang, second left, learns a folk dance gesture while attending a rally with immigrant residents in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times

(王如玄) yesterday said that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has done nothing for women.

At a Hsinchu County public forum with representatives from several women’s organizations, Wang said that while she and Tsai were both female candidates in the Jan. 16 presidential and legislative elections, they were different from each other.

“Ever since I was in college, I have endeavored to improve women’s rights. On the contrary, Tsai has never done anything to protect and take care of women, whether it was when she worked in the private sector or served as minister of the Mainland Affairs Council or as vice premier,” Wang said.

“Tsai has done nothing, if you think back,” said Wang, a lawyer who has portrayed herself as a staunch advocate of gender equality and a voice against domestic violence and sexual harassment at work.     [FULL  STORY]

Candidates prepare for presidential TV debates

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 21, 2015
By: Staff Writer, with CNA

The three presidential candidates are gearing up for televised debates that are scheduled for Sunday and Jan. 2.

“I will seek to truthfully present my campaign platforms and thoughts at the scheduled debate. Every issue concerning Taiwanese will be my focus, rather than just economy and cross-strait ties,” Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu (朱立倫) said at his campaign headquarters in Taipei.

He said that unlike Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and People First Party (PFP) presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜), the televised presidential debate on Sunday would be his first.     [FULL  STORY]

Tsai seeks piggy banks amid shortfall

FAMILIAL DONATION:DPP vice presidential candidate Chen Chien-jen said that this year he is the piggy bank that his family is donating to the party and Taiwan

Taipei Times
Date:  Dec 21, 2015
By: Loa Iok-sin  /  Staff reporter

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡

Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen yesterday addresses a rally outside her campaign headquarters in Taipei. Photo: CNA

Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen yesterday addresses a rally outside her campaign headquarters in Taipei. Photo: CNA

英文) and DPP vice presidential candidate Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) yesterday called on supporters to “bring piggy banks home,” as their campaign office is short NT$70 million (US$2.1 million).

Thousands of supporters gathered outside Tsai’s campaign headquarters in Taipei and repeatedly chanted: “Hello, president” as Tsai walked onto a stage, even though the presidential election is still weeks away.

Waving small flags to show their support for Tsai, many supporters also held up piggy banks filled with coins, which they shook to make a noise.

Before, during and after the rally, people lined up to donate their piggy banks full of coins to campaign staff, which is the trademark of Tsai’s supporters when making donations.     [FULL  STORY]

Reporter’s Notebook: DPP’s Chen in demand, KMT’s Wang shunned

Taipei Times
Date:  Dec 20, 2015
By: TSENG WEI-CHEN 曾韋禎

Since the nomination of former Academia Sinica vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) as the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) vice presidential candidate last month, the phrase “Here comes Brother Da-jen (大仁哥)” — the nickname of a leading character in the popular 2011 soap opera In Time With You (我可能不會愛你) — has been frequently used by DPP legislative candidates on Facebook when announcing Chen’s attendance at campaign events.

Many DPP legislative candidates have been vying for the chance to have Chen appear at their campaign events.

In contrast, the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) scandal-dogged vice presidential candidate, former Council of Labor Affairs minister Jennifer Wang (王如玄), has been shunned by most of the party’s legislative candidates.

The popularity gap between the two candidates was evidenced in a survey released by the Cross-Strait Policy Association earlier this month, which showed 53.7 percent of respondents found Chen favorable, while 63.4 percent said they disliked Wang.

On Nov. 19, Chen attended his first campaign event at a farmers’ association in the hotly contested constituency of New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋), chanting campaign slogans with the DPP’s legislative candidates in the area, Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) and Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸).     [FULL  STORY]

KMT raises suspicion over party assets sell-out

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-19
By: Chia Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

DPP on Friday called on the KMT to publicize their campaign finances to

KMT raises suspicion over party assets sell-out. Central News Agency (2015-12-19 18:17:26)

KMT raises suspicion over party assets sell-out. Central News Agency (2015-12-19 18:17:26)

explain the controversy revolves around the KMT’s selling of its party assets.
The Democratic Progressive Party on Friday called on the Kuomintang to publicize its campaign finances to explain the controversy revolving around the KMT’s alleged selling of its party assets on the eve of the presidential election.

At a press conference Friday, the DPP suspected that the KMT is trying to get rid of its party assets, publishing advertisements calling for buyers for 26 plots owned by the KMT, according to media reports.

DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen stressed that the KMT’s party assets have always been the root for the unfair competition in Taiwan’s politics, which has greatly harmed the development of the country’s democracy.

The KMT’s assets sell-out has made people question if the party is trying to raise the funds needed to cover its election expenses. While the DPP has already made transparent its campaign finances, Tsai called on the KMT presidential candidate, Eric Chu, to do the same. “Transparency and honesty is the best policy,” said Tsai.

KMT urged to stop asset sales

INVESTED:Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen has urged the Chinese Nationalist Party to explain if asset sales are related to the election campaign

Taipei Times
Date:  Dec 20, 2015
By: Loa Iok-sin  /  Staff reporter

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡

A woman holds a child at an election campaign event in support of Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen in Taoyuan yesterday. Photo: CNA

A woman holds a child at an election campaign event in support of Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen in Taoyuan yesterday. Photo: CNA

英文) yesterday called on the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to stop selling its controversial party assets, questioning whether it is doing so to avoid supervision from the next legislature.

“The public should take this seriously. The KMT is trying to sell off its party assets before the legislative and presidential elections,” Tsai said in response to media queries while attending a campaign rally for the party’s legislative candidate in Taoyuan’s Jhongli District (中壢).

“I suspect that [the KMT] is selling the party assets with the intention of avoiding examination and supervision of the new legislature after the election and therefore I call on KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) to refrain from selling party assets prior to the election of the new legislature and the passage of legislation on political parties and party assets,” she said.     [FULL  STORY]

DPP against hastily passing legislative reform bill

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-16
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The Democratic Progressive Party Wednesday slammed the KMT for being

DPP against hastily passing reform bill. Central News Agency

DPP against hastily passing reform bill. Central News Agency

absent in reforming the legislature which it controlled for decades and for trying to hastily pass the proposed legislative reform bill 3 days before the legislature adjourns for the year.

The legislature will adjourn from December 21-31. Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-ping called a party caucus negotiation Wednesday to discuss agenda for the last plenary meeting and whether to send the legislative reform bill directly for second reading in order for it to be passed before the legislature adjourns.

After two hours’ discussion, Wang announced that the legislative reform bill would not be passed in this session.     [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Mayor defends Tsai Ing-wen

Taipei Times
Date:  Dec 16, 2015
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday defended Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je’s signature, right, placed next to that of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen appears in a DPP newspaper advertisement. Photo: Kuo An-chia, Taipei Times

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je’s signature, right, placed next to that of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen appears in a DPP newspaper advertisement. Photo: Kuo An-chia, Taipei Times

presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) against land speculation allegations by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), saying that the disputed plots were most likely purchased by Tsai’s father, not by herself.

Ko made the remark in response to media requests for comment on whether the KMT’s allegations are a “conspiracy” aimed at undermining Tsai ahead of the Jan. 16 presidential election.

The KMT said Tsai in 1988 purchased 15 plots in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖), which were later sold to Farglory Land Development Co for 13 times Tsai’s purchase price.

Ko said he did not have time to watch political talk shows and asked reporters when Tsai reportedly purchased the plots, to which reporters replied: “When she was in her 30s.”     [FULL  STORY]