Politics

Ko looks for discourse of candidates

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-12
By Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je said Saturday he was still

Ko looks for discourse of candidates. Taiwan News

looking for the “discourse” to decide which legislative candidates to support in the capital.

In the campaign for the January 16 legislative elections, the Democratic Progressive Party has only nominated two of its own members for the eight legislative districts in Taipei City. In the six other seats, it is backing a wide variety of candidates from other parties or independents.

There have been reports that the DPP and Ko would like to see those candidates form an alliance, with names like “Capital Progress Alliance” or “Capital Change Alliance” being bandied about by the media.

On Saturday, Ko attended the official opening of the campaign headquarters of one of the independent candidates backed by the DPP, Lee Ching-yuan, at present a member of the Taipei City Council. [FULL STORY]

Tsai slams KMT speculation figures

UNCHANGED:On the same day that Eric Chu pledged to maintain a positive campaign rhetoric, the KMT has made accusations against Tsai Ing-wen that hark back to 2012

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 11, 2015
By: Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter

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

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson Wang Ming-sheng, left, yesterday in Taipei disputes the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus’ claim that DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen has been involved in real-estate speculation. cPhoto: Chen Hui-ping, Taipei Times

文) yesterday rebutted the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) accusations that she was involved in real-estate speculation, saying that the figures the KMT cited were inaccurate.

“I know that the KMT is attacking me because it is eager to end the controversy over military housing, however, all the numbers they cited today [yesterday] are all wrong,” Tsai said. “Attacking with false figures is no different from smearing. The transaction involved no privilege, no speculation, and no extortionate profit,” she said.

Tsai made the remarks after KMT Legislator Alex Tsai (蔡正元) and former KMT legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) alleged that Tsai in 1988 purchased 15 plots of land in Neihu District (內湖), Taipei, totaling 895.8m2 and then sold them all in one day in 1997 with what the lawmaker claimed was a net profit of at least NT$180 million (US$5.5 million).

Tsai Ing-wen said that as it has been almost 20 years since she sold the land and she could not remember exactly how much she had made from the transaction. [FULL STORY]

DPP approves list of candidates outside the party to support

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 10, 2015
By: Loa Iok-sin / Staff reporter, in Taoyuan

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Central Standing Committee yesterday

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Central Standing Committee yesterday passes a motion to support a list of 11 non-DPP legislative candidates, pictured in a composite photograph, in the Jan. 16 elections. Photo: Taipei Times

passed a list of non-DPP legislative candidates to support, with an eye on uniting their efforts to defeat Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) nominees.

“Considering the overall situation heading into the legislative elections, the Campaign Strategy Committee suggested that the DPP support legislative candidates in constituencies where it is expected to be difficult for the party to win,” Campaign Strategy Committee convener Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) said at a meeting in Taoyuan. “We seek to cooperate with them as allies, with victory in the elections our ultimate goal.”

The “allies” chosen by the Campaign Strategy Committee include New Power Party legislative nominees Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) in New Taipei City’s 12th electoral district, Freddy Lim (林昶佐) in Taipei’s fifth electoral district, Hung Tzu-yung (洪慈庸) in Taichung’s third electoral district, as well as People First Party candidate Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) in Taipei’s fourth electoral district, Green Party-Social Democratic Party candidate Fan Yun (范雲) in Taipei’s sixth electoral district and Taiwan Solidarity Union nominee Liu Kuo-lung (劉國隆) in Taichung’s fifth electoral district.

Also among the allies are independent candidates Lee Hsing-chang (李幸長) in New Taipei City’s ninth electoral district, and in Taipei: Billy Pan (潘建志) in the third electoral district, Yang Shih-chiu (楊實秋) in the seventh, Lee Ching-yuan (李慶元) in the eighth, as well as Chao Cheng-yu (趙正宇) in Taoyuan’s sixth electoral district. [FULL STORY]

Tuan: Wang has five unaccounted-for transactions

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-09
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

After KMT vice president candidate Jennifer Wang confessed that she had sold

Tuan: Wang has five unaccounted-for transactions. Agence France-Presse

11 military-subsidized apartments in the past 10 years for a profit totaling NT$13.8 million, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tuan Yi-kang said on Wednesday that 5 real estate transactions she allegedly made from 2005 to 2012 are still unaccounted for.

The taxation bureau can trace records of the five suspicious real estate transactions, whether they were declared or not, Tuan said.

Tuan questioned that Wang did not declare these five transactions to avoid paying taxes. That’s why Wang could not admit these transactions, Tuan said, urging her to account for the suspicion surrounding these transactions. [FULL STORY]

PTS best choice to host presidential debate: media reform group

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/09
By S.C. Chang

Taipei, Dec. 9 (CNA) The Campaign for Media Reform group on Thursday called for a quick solution to the controversy over a live presidential candidate debate, saying it should be hosted by Public Television Service (PTS).

Coordination meetings on the debate have stalled amid divergent views among the three political parties that have fielded candidates on which media outlet should host it.

The main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is in favor of a private TV network, while the ruling Kuomintang is insisting on PTS, and minor opposition People First Party is suggesting two debates, one each on private and public TV. [FULL STORY]

Taiwan’s likely first woman president keeps cards close on China game plan

Taiwan’s elections are just weeks away with little clarity about how a likely win by a party that traditionally favours independence from China will go down with a neighbour that has threatened force to ensure the island never goes it alone.

Channel News Asia
Date: 09 Dec 2015

TAIPEI: Taiwan’s elections are just weeks away with little clarity about how a

Taiwan’s main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen gives a speech before their central standing committee in Taipei, Taiwan, in this November 4, 2015 file photo. REUTERS/Pichi Chuang/Files

likely win by a party that traditionally favours independence from China will go down with a neighbour that has threatened force to ensure the island never goes it alone.

Taiwan votes in a new president and parliament in January when the ruling Nationalists (KMT) are expected to be soundly beaten by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), supported by youthful voters angered by a perceived economic dependence on the mainland.

The person most likely to be Taiwan’s first woman president, DPP leader Tsai Ing-wen, 59, has offered no specific China policy other than broad comments indicating she is willing to engage the Communist rulers in Beijing. [FULL STORY]

Poll puts Tsai over 50%

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-08
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) –Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen

Poll puts Tsai over 50%. Central News Agency

received more than 50 percent of the vote in an opinion poll Tuesday.

Tsai has been running far ahead of her challengers in the January 16 election for months, but in most recent polls, she received about 45 percent of the vote.

The poll commissioned by the Taiwan Cross-Straits Policy Association and released Tuesday gave Tsai and her running mate Chen Chien-jen 52.6 percent, the Kuomintang ticket of Eric Liluan Chu and Jennifer Wang 20.1 percent, and the combination of People First Party Chairman James Soong with Minkuotang Chairwoman Hsu Hsin-ying 9.2 percent.

Tsai’s support level had gradually risen over the past few months, reports said. A TWCSPA poll conducted in October, when the KMT nominated Chu to replace Hung Hsiu-chu as its candidate, gave Tsai 45.2 percent, while she received 48.6 percent about a month later, as President Ma Ying-jeou met Chinese leader Xi Jinping at an unprecedented summit in Singapore. [FULL STORY]

Tsai: Chu’s economic plans unsubstantial

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-08
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday criticized her

Tsai: Chu’s economic plans unsubstantial. Central News Agency

opponent’s economic plans for not being substantial and well-planned.

On Monday KMT presidential candidate Eric Chu proposed the“Three Bows and Four Arrows”economic plans to “fire Taiwan’s industrial engine.” Chu proposed that Taiwan should safeguard its supply chain and can work with China to expand markets.

Tsai said that Chu’s proposals mostly follow the unpractical policies of the current government, urging him to spend more time to study Taiwan’s current industrial situations and come up with plans that can meet demands of the next generation. [FULL STORY]

Wang admits to buying 12 military apartments

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-08
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Following repeated allegations, Kuomintang vice-presidential

Wang admits to buying 12 military apartments. Central News Agency

candidate Jennifer Wang admitted Tuesday that she had bought twelve military apartments and sold nine of them at a profit.

Her latest explanations follow weeks of accusations that she profited from real estate speculation involving the purchase and sale of apartments targeted at low-income military families. The allegations have damaged the image of the KMT ticket further, just five weeks from the January 16 elections.

At a special news conference she called Tuesday to respond to the stream of allegations, she said that before 2003, she had bought twelve military apartments and sold nine of them at a total profit of NT$13.8 million (US$420,000).

At present, she still owned three of the apartments, one in her husband’s name, one owned by a sister and one by their mother, she said. Wang added she would donate the full profit from the earlier sales to charity. [FULL STORY]

Chen woos Ilan residents during campaign rally

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-06
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Democratic Progressive Party vice presidential candidate Chen Chien-jen called on the public Sunday to

Chen woos senior citizens, Ilan residents. Central News Agency

root for Chen Ou-po, a Democratic Progressive Party legislator who is currently running for re-election.

“I look forward for your continued support,” he pleaded, urging voters in Ilan to allow Chen to seek a second term in office so that he could help improve the livelihood of the city’s residents.

The vice presidential contender was all smiles onstage at a rally in Ilan as he campaigned for the party legislator, who had helped establish a number of positive social welfare programs for its senior citizens.

“Taking care of the elderly has always been one of the party’s top priorities,” Chen told supporters in the morning. [FULL STORY]

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