After aligning himself with the DPP legislative caucus last session, independent Legislator Eugene Jao (趙永清) has become a dues-paying member of the ruling party.
The move, though unsurprising, injects an extra dose of euphoria into the party, which has won a number of crucial votes in the legislature despite its lack of a majority.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
Dubbed a "sunny boy," Jao said he was attracted to the party's commitment to the principles of democracy and justice.
"It is my firm belief that justice should take precedence over partisan concerns, as no mortal can outlive the system," he told a news conference yesterday, flanked by well-wishers including incoming DPP secretary-general Chang Chun-hsung (
The four-term lawmaker, known for his staunch anti-nuclear stance, urged the DPP government to strive to make Taiwan nuclear-free and to push for referendum and anti-corruption laws.
"Let's give equal emphasis to economic development and environmental protection," said Jao, who broke ranks with the KMT last year over its energy policy. "Only then, can the inhabitants of this land enjoy a safe life."
In a sign of the warmth of the DPP's welcome, Chang said that the KMT would still be in in power if it had more members like Jao. "If that were the case, there would have been no need for the DPP to exist in the first place," he added.
Jao, 45, has been representing Taipei County for the past decade. His father and brother were former members of the National Assembly and now-defunct Provincial Assembly under the KMT banner.
In Oct 2000, the KMT suspended Jao's party membership after he joined with anti-nuclear groups in opposing construction of the partially built Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.
The following January, the KMT revoked his membership after he formed the People's Union (
Incensed by the plant's revival, Jao launched a signature drive in a bid to oust then-premier Chang and pressured the Cabinet to call a popular vote on the fate of the project.
Neither Jao nor Chang made any mention of the episode yesterday.
Calling himself a supporter of the middle-road policy trumpeted by President Chen Shui-bian (
"Political stability will be more attainable if the country has only two parties," he said.
Indeed, Chen and Premier Yu Shyi-kun both signed the column of reference in Jao's application form.
The frank-speaking lawmaker, however, did not hide his reservations about the pro-independence clause enshrined in the DPP charter.
He suggested the party adopt more pragmatism when dealing with cross-strait affairs, noting that relations between Taiwan and China have undergone substantial change over the years.
"It is time the DPP platform, drafted when the party was in opposition, be amended to stay in tune with reality," Jao said.
Also, he confessed he is not fully at ease with factional wrangling inside the party and has no intention of joining any faction for now.
"For better or worse, at least the DPP allows its members to make known their opinions during the decision-making process, a practice that is unimaginable in the KMT," Jao said.
While a KMT member, Jao belonged to the Reformist faction where he and colleagues such as Apollo Chen (陳學聖) and Chu Li-luan (朱立倫) sought to revitalize the party -- but to no avail.
"In the end, I was expelled from the party myself," he said, adding that more will follow when the time is right.
Apollo Chen, for instance, has often complained about "being lonely," he said.
Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials including Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) are to be summoned for questioning and then transferred to prosecutors for holding an illegal assembly in Taipei last night, the Taipei Police said today. Chu and two others hosted an illegal assembly and are to be requested to explain their actions, the Taipei City Police Department's Zhongzheng (中正) First Precinct said, referring to a protest held after Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), KMT Taipei's chapter director, and several other KMT staffers were questioned for alleged signature forgery in recall petitions against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators. Taipei prosecutors had filed
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
Lawmakers from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday established a friendship group with their counterparts in Ukraine to promote parliamentary exchanges between the two countries. A ceremony in Taipei for the Taiwan-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Association, initiated by DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷), was attended by lawmakers and officials, including Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) and European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan Director Lutz Gullner. The increasingly dire situation in Ukraine is a global concern, and Taiwan cannot turn its back when the latter is in need of help, as the two countries share many common values and interests,