Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/11/28
By: Yeh Su-ping, Huang Hui-min and Christie Chen

Taipei, Nov. 28 (CNA) Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)

Chairwoman and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) continues to hold a commanding lead over her opponents, in the countdown to Taiwan’s three-way presidential race on Jan. 16, according to the latest public opinion poll released Saturday.

The United Daily News poll showed 46 percent support for Tsai and her running mate Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), 19 percent for the ruling Kuomintang’s (KMT’s) Eric Chu (朱立倫) and Wang Ju-hsuan (王如玄), and 9 percent for James Soong (宋楚瑜) of the People First Party (PFP) and his running mate Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩).     [FULL  STORY]

REFORMS:Hung Hsiu-chu has vowed to stay with the KMT rather than join the New Party, who she said walks the ‘right path’ against Taiwanese independence

Taipei Times
Date: Nov 28, 2015
By: Alison Hsiao  /  Staff reporter

Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), after what she described as a

“long deliberation,” announced yesterday that she would not run for a legislative seat as an independent candidate, nor would she accept the New Party’s offer to be listed as one of the party’s legislator-at-large nominees.

Speculation had been rife that Hung, whose presidential candidacy was rescinded by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) last month, would run for legislator in New Taipei City’s Yonghe District (永和).

Hung refused to confirm or deny the rumor on Thursday, saying she would provide an answer yesterday, which was the last day of candidacy registration.

Hung called a press conference at 3pm, officially announcing her decision that, in order to continue to push for reform in the KMT, she would stay in the party, indicating that running for legislator in Yonghe would be out of the question, as it would cost her KMT membership.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-11-27
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Former Democratic Progressive Party Chairman Shih

Ming-te plans to take his failed presidential bid to the Council of Grand Justices for a ruling on its constitutionality, reports said Friday.

Even though Shih announced in September he was giving up his effort, he still showed up at the Central Election Commission Friday to register for the January 16 election.

As predicted, the commission rejected his registration attempt because he could not produce the 300,000 signatures necessary for an independent candidate.

When it became clear last September that he would not be able to collect that many endorsements, Shih announced he would not be running. Earlier in the race, he had reportedly tried to cooperate with People First Party Chairman James Soong, who did not need endorsements because his party won sufficient votes at the previous legislative election. Shih also called on the CEC to allow the registration of online endorsements, but the commission said only filled-out paper forms counted for the election registration.     [FULL  STORY]

TRANSPARENCY:The vice-presidential candidate said if TSMC wanted to build a new plant, but faced protests, it should initiate public hearings to help inform the public

Taipei Times
Date: , Nov 27, 2015
By: Loa Iok-sin  /  Staff reporter

The government is not working hard enough to explore “green” energy options,

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice presidential candidate Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said yesterday, adding that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was looking for excuses in comments about a potential energy crisis in the nation.

In a conversation with Ma when the president visited Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) on Wednesday, TSMC chairman Morris Chang (張忠謀) said that the two major issues that concern investors are a possible power shortage in 2017 and protests by environmentalists over industrial development projects.

Ma said that using sources of renewable energy to replace nuclear power was unrealistic.

“The president is looking for excuses for something he has not done well,” Chen said during an interview on SuperFM 98.5 with host Cheng Hung-yi (鄭弘儀). “Taiwan has a good environment for developing green energy, but the government has never worked hard to explore it.”     [FULL  STORY]