With the March 18 presidential election looming, two more political heavyweights appeared to nail their colors to the mast in support of independent presidential candidate James Soong (
While Taichung County Council Speaker Yen Ching-piao (
"By standing firm in my position to back Soong's campaign, I want to prove that I am not the kind of person that keeps his feet in both camps, or forgets his moral principles at the sight of profit," Yen said.
"During Soong's tenure as Taiwan provincial governor for the past five years, he visited Taichung County 229 times and spent NT$13.48 billion on construction projects. I could spend two days in talking about Soong's merits," Yen added.
Just as Yen finished speaking, Soong himself arrived to express his gratitude.
Shortly after, Yen stumped for Soong at a rally in Taichung County.
The KMT, however, questioned Yen's ability to mobilize votes for Soong.
"In an open society like Taiwan's, I wonder if one person can exert influence over the political climate," said Eric Chu (
Yen is both Taichung County council speaker, the leader of the local "black faction," and the president of the Chenlan Kung Temple (
Both Lien's and Soong's camps were seeking Yen's support.
Just last Sunday, the two major candidates attended a ceremony for the completion of a new temple building dedicated to Matsu.
Critics, meanwhile, said Yen's announcement would not generate a huge impact on the current presidential landscape, since his vote captains have already tried their best to campaign for Soong.
"Regardless of whether Yen clarified his stance, it couldn't been more obvious that his vote captains have already switched sides to Soong, so Yen's gesture was less substantial but more symbolic," said Wang Yeh-lih (
"With Yen announcing his pro-Soong stance, the local `black faction' is doomed to split in two. The other local faction leader, Chen Kang-chin (
Hau Pei-tsun (
His son, New Party legislator Hau Lung-pin (
Under pressure from the media, Hau Lung-pin admitted that "my father now endorses Soong's campaign emotionally.
"My father will announce his final decision before voting day," Hau said.
Still, campaign officials for Soong believe that voters who respect Hau are almost all already in in the Soong camp.
TRAGEDY STRIKES TAIPEI: The suspect died after falling off a building after he threw smoke grenades into Taipei Main Station and went on a killing spree in Zhongshan A 27-year-old suspect allegedly threw smoke grenades in Taipei Main Station and then proceeded to Zhongshan MRT Station in a random killing spree that resulted in the death of the suspect and two other civilians, and seven injured, including one in critical condition, as of press time last night. The suspect, identified as a man surnamed Chang Wen (張文), allegedly began the attack at Taipei Main Station, the Taipei Fire Department said, adding that it received a report at 5:24pm that smoke grenades had been thrown in the station. One man in his 50s was rushed to hospital after a cardiac arrest
SAFETY FIRST: Double the number of police were deployed at the Taipei Marathon, while other cities released plans to bolster public event safety Authorities across Taiwan have stepped up security measures ahead of Christmas and New Year events, following a knife and smoke bomb attack in Taipei on Friday that left four people dead and 11 injured. In a bid to prevent potential copycat incidents, police deployments have been expanded for large gatherings, transport hubs, and other crowded public spaces, according to official statements from police and city authorities. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said the city has “comprehensively raised security readiness” in crowded areas, increased police deployments with armed officers, and intensified patrols during weekends and nighttime hours. For large-scale events, security checkpoints and explosives
A car bomb killed a senior Russian general in southern Moscow yesterday morning, the latest high-profile army figure to be blown up in a blast that came just hours after Russian and Ukrainian delegates held separate talks in Miami on a plan to end the war. Kyiv has not commented on the incident, but Russian investigators said they were probing whether the blast was “linked” to “Ukrainian special forces.” The attack was similar to other assassinations of generals and pro-war figures that have either been claimed, or are widely believed to have been orchestrated, by Ukraine. Russian Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head
PUBLIC SAFETY: The premier said that security would be tightened in transport hubs, while President Lai commended the public for their bravery The government is to deploy more police, including rapid response units, in crowded public areas to ensure a swift response to any threats, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after a knife attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei the previous day. Lai made the remarks following a briefing by the National Police Agency on the progress of the investigation, saying that the attack underscored the importance of cooperation in public security between the central and local governments. The attack unfolded in the early evening on Friday around Taipei Main Station’s M7 exit and later near the Taipei MRT’s Zhongshan
RSS