Politics

Thousands attend rally by Republican Party in Taipei

Taipei Times
Date:  Oct 25, 2015
By: Abraham Gerber  /  Staff reporter

The Republican Party yesterday flexed its organizational muscles with a

Republican Party supporters attend a rally on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

Republican Party supporters attend a rally on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times

massive rally along Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei.

Following hours of performances and speeches, each of the party’s legislative candidates symbolically waved the party’s banner, passed to them by party Chairman Hsu Hsin-ying (徐欣瑩).

The “Lion of Justice” emblazoned on the banner also served as the theme of the rally, which was officially titled “The Lion of Justice Saves Taiwan.”

Party volunteers said that the lion (獅子) was chosen as the theme animal, because it sounds the same as “teacher” (師) in Mandarin.     [FULL  STORY]

Ko takes heat for aide’s Tsai meeting

‘HYPOCRITICAL’:KMT city councilors say Civil Affairs Commissioner Lan Shih-tsung’s meeting with wardens, at which Tsai was present, violated administrative neutrality

Taipei Times
Date:  Oct 24, 2015
By: Sean Lin  /  Staff reporter

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday faced tough questions at the Taipei City Council after one of his top aides was found to have attended a meeting with borough wardens — which Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) also attended — prior to another event where the borough wardens expressed solidarity with Tsai in her election campaign.

Prior to his policy address, Ko was questioned by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) city councilors over Taipei Department of Civil Affairs Commissioner Lan Shih-tsung’s (藍世聰) attendance of a closed-door meeting of the city’s borough wardens with Tsai. The councilors accused Lan of having violated the principle of neutrality by appearing at an event with a presidential candidate.

KMT Taipei City Councilor Wang Hsin-yi (王欣儀) said that Lan was not only seated close to Tsai at the meeting, but also gave a speech.     [FULL  STORY]

Hung aide denies funding allegations

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-23
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Yeh Kuang-shih, the former aide to the former Kuomintang presidential

Hung aide denies funding allegations. Central News Agency

Hung aide denies funding allegations. Central News Agency

candidate Hung Hsiu-chu, walks out of the Supreme Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Division late Wednesday.
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – An aide to former Kuomintang presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu on Friday rejected allegations that she had accepted NT$30 million (US$926,000) from the party in return for dropping out of the race.

The Supreme Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Division has been investigating allegations brought by opposition politicians that the KMT “paid off” Hung in order to persuade her to drop her candidacy for the January 16 election.     [FULL  STORY]

Hung to sue over Storm Media report

LEGAL ISSUES:Hung Hsiu-chu has hired an attorney over allegations in an online media outlet that she demanded the party call an extraordinary congress to replace her

Taipei Times
Date:  Oct 24, 2015
By: Alison Hsiao  /  Staff reporter

Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), whose presidential

Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu stares at her desk while presiding over yesterday’s legislative session in Taipei. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times

Deputy Legislative Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu stares at her desk while presiding over yesterday’s legislative session in Taipei. Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times

nomination was rescinded by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) on Saturday, yesterday hired an attorney to sue online news outlet Storm Media for defamation over a report alleging that she had called for the extraordinary party congress at which she was replaced.

Storm Media on Thursday reported that former minister of transportation and communications Yeh Kuang-shih (葉匡時) — an adviser to Hung’s campaign team — had been among the first group of people to be summoned by the Special Investigation Division (SID) on Wednesday over its probe of Hung’s ouster.

Yeh was the go-between between party headquarters — under the leadership of KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) — and the Hung camp, and conveyed messages and brokered meetings between the two sides, the report said.     [FULL  STORY]

Chu’s mayoral leave ‘compliant’ with law: official

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

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Eric Chu’s temporary leave of absence from his post as New Taipei City mayor conforms to all relevant regulations, Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Minister Frank Huang (黃富源) said yesterday.

“Every citizen is constitutionally entitled to participate in elections,” Huang said on the sidelines of a meeting of the legislature’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee.

“Chu has applied for a leave of absence from Tuesday until the end of December in accordance with the Public Servants’ Administrative Neutrality Act (公務人員行政中立法) and the Regulations on Civil Servants’ Applications for Leave (公務人員請假規則),” he said.

Huang made the remarks as the legality of Chu’s leave of absence has been called into question, prompting some netizens to urge young people to set their sights on becoming a mayor, as it is the only job in the nation that allows an extended holiday as long as three months.   [FULL  STORY]

Hung to reimburse donors

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-22
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Former Kuomintang presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu waives as she

Hung to reimburse donors. Central News Agency

Hung to reimburse donors. Central News Agency

thanks her supporters outside the KMT congress after the KMT revoked Hung’s candidacy on October 17.
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Former Kuomintang presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu said Thursday she would start giving back a total of NT$11.83 million (US$364,000) in political donations to the donors.

The KMT replaced her as its candidate for the January 16 election with its chairman, Eric Liluan Chu, just last weekend, putting her in a difficult position.     [FULL  STORY]

Chu comments on Ma comparisons

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-21
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Kuomintang candidate Eric Liluan Chu commented

Chu comments on Ma comparisons. Central News Agency

Chu comments on Ma comparisons. Central News Agency

Wednesday on allegations that he was President Ma Ying-jeou 2.0 and Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen was a female version of Ma.

Since Chu replaced Legislative Vice Speaker Hung Hsiu-chu as the ruling party’s presidential contender last Saturday, accusations have been leveled at him that he is nothing more but a new version of the incumbent president.

Recording a TV interview Wednesday, Chu replied to the comparisons by saying he was more realistic and practical in facing the issues, while Tsai liked to remain vague.     [FULL  STORY]

KMT legislator blames Lai and Chen for not containing dengue spread

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-21
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Kuomintang Legislator Lee Guei-min blasted Tainan Mayor William Lai and

KMT blames Lai, Chen for dengue spread. Central News Agency

KMT blames Lai, Chen for dengue spread. Central News Agency

Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu for not doing their jobs in combating the spread of dengue fever, quoting sarcastically that “major calamities are bound to happen when the DPP is in charge,” reports said Wednesday.

During a press conference held at the KMT headquarters in Taipei, Lee urged Lai and Chen not to turn Taiwan into the worst affected area in Southeast Asia plagued by dengue fever, criticizing the latter for making a trip to Paris on a sightseeing tour while she should have stayed in Kaohsiung to oversee the fight against the mosquito epidemic.     [FULL  STORY]

Tsai 17% ahead of Chu: TVBS poll

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-20
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Democratic Progressive Party Chairwoman Tsai

Tsai 17% ahead of Chu: TVBS poll. Taiwan News

Tsai 17% ahead of Chu: TVBS poll. Taiwan News

Ing-wen was 17 percent ahead of Kuomintang Chairman Eric Liluan Chu, according to an opinion poll released by cable station TVBS Tuesday.

The KMT only nominated Chu as its candidate in the January 16 election last Saturday, partly because its previous candidate, Hung Hsiu-chu, performed so poorly in the polls.

If the presidential election were held now, Tsai would receive 46 percent of the vote, Chu 29 percent and People First Party Chairman James Soong 10 percent, the poll said.

While the opposition leader was still far ahead, her lead had shrunk by 2 percent, according to the survey.

Video recording possible at next election: CEC

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-10-20
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Making video recordings of the ballot counting will

Video recording possible at next election: CEC. Central News Agency

Video recording possible at next election: CEC. Central News Agency

be allowed at the next January 16 legislative and presidential elections, the Central Election Commission said Tuesday.

However, the CEC added the caveat that it would only be permissible if the regular order of the counting proceedings was not disturbed.

Before last November’s local and regional elections, the CEC banned the practice, leading to complaints that irregularities in the counting process would be more difficult to uncover.

At a meeting Tuesday, the CEC overturned its own ban though it added it would devise a new set of rules to make the process fair and open. Last week, lawmakers from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party froze part of the CEC budget on the condition that the government body would allow the practice of video recording.     [FULL  STORY]