About 200 people yesterday rallied outside the Taipei Guest House in Taipei demanding that the government respect National Taiwan University’s (NTU) autonomy, as controversy over the appointment of NTU president-elect Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔) shows no signs of dying down.
“We are strongly opposed to the political interference that has obstructed the legal NTU presidential election process and prevented Kuan from taking office,” NTU School of Veterinary Medicine professor Chou Chung-hsi (周崇熙) said.
Chou led NTU students, faculty and alumni in chanting slogans such as “keep your political hands off our campus” and “we want a president.”
Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
NTU political science professor Su Hung-dah (蘇宏達) said he joined the rally not because he is personally in favor of Kuan, but because his election was legal.
“The election was legitimate and the result ought to be respected by the government,” he said.
Kuan was elected on Jan. 5 to succeed Yang Pan-chyr (楊泮池), who chose not to serve another term when his first term expired in June last year.
Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
However, Kuan has since been accused of plagiarism and conflict of interest, which cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election process.
Members of the university’s election committee on Jan. 31 decided to uphold the election result, but the Ministry of Education was not satisfied with the selection committee’s findings and has demanded that the allegations be cleared up before it confirms Kuan’s appointment.
Ministry Department of Personnel Director Chen Kun-yuan (陳焜元) said that the election committee “has yet to answer the questions” about the conflict-of-interest allegation.
Kuan allegedly did not inform the committee that he was then an independent member of Taiwan Mobile’s board of directors.
Taiwan Mobile vice chairman Richard Tsai (蔡明興) is on the NTU election committee.
According to the committee meeting minutes from Jan. 31, members said that Kuan’s position on the board was public knowledge.
The election committee said that they were unable to determine whether the election result would have been different had they known that Kuan served in the role.
“From the meeting records, we could not determine whether the information might have influenced the election result,” Chen said. “This is a question that either the university or the election committee need to answer.”
Meanwhile, other university students, faculty and alumni have criticized the selection committee for playing down the allegations against Kuan.
A petition initiated by NTU Affairs Council representatives has reached the signature threshold to demand that the council call a special meeting to investigate the dispute, pending a response from the University’s Office of the Secretariat.
Chen said the ministry would pay close attention to how the Affairs Council handles the issue.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old