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.
Super Typhoon Kong-rey is the largest cyclone to impact Taiwan in 27 years, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Kong-rey’s radius of maximum wind (RMW) — the distance between the center of a cyclone and its band of strongest winds — has expanded to 320km, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said. The last time a typhoon of comparable strength with an RMW larger than 300km made landfall in Taiwan was Typhoon Herb in 1996, he said. Herb made landfall between Keelung and Suao (蘇澳) in Yilan County with an RMW of 350km, Chang said. The weather station in Alishan (阿里山) recorded 1.09m of
STORM’S PATH: Kong-Rey could be the first typhoon to make landfall in Taiwan in November since Gilda in 1967. Taitung-Green Island ferry services have been halted Tropical Storm Kong-rey is forecast to strengthen into a typhoon early today and could make landfall in Taitung County between late Thursday and early Friday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, Kong-Rey was 1,030km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the nation’s southernmost point, and was moving west at 7kph. The tropical storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126 kph, CWA data showed. After landing in Taitung, the eye of the storm is forecast to move into the Taiwan Strait through central Taiwan on Friday morning, the agency said. With the storm moving
NO WORK, CLASS: President William Lai urged people in the eastern, southern and northern parts of the country to be on alert, with Typhoon Kong-rey approaching Typhoon Kong-rey is expected to make landfall on Taiwan’s east coast today, with work and classes canceled nationwide. Packing gusts of nearly 300kph, the storm yesterday intensified into a typhoon and was expected to gain even more strength before hitting Taitung County, the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said. The storm is forecast to cross Taiwan’s south, enter the Taiwan Strait and head toward China, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The CWA labeled the storm a “strong typhoon,” the most powerful on its scale. Up to 1.2m of rainfall was expected in mountainous areas of eastern Taiwan and destructive winds are likely
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday at 5:30pm issued a sea warning for Typhoon Kong-rey as the storm drew closer to the east coast. As of 8pm yesterday, the storm was 670km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and traveling northwest at 12kph to 16kph. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 162kph and gusts of up to 198kph, the CWA said. A land warning might be issued this morning for the storm, which is expected to have the strongest impact on Taiwan from tonight to early Friday morning, the agency said. Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島) canceled classes and work