■ Politics
VCD actor backs pan-blue
An actor who starred in the Special Report VCDs released last October that mocked Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and People First Party Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜), yesterday announced that he will vote for the pan-blue ticket and apologized for taking part in the satirical production. Peng Han-yang (彭瀚洋) told reporters at a news conference held by the pan-blue camp that he felt sorry for playing a role that he did not identify with. Peng said his performance was "a bad example" to society and stressed that he had not expected the VCDs to generate such a huge controversy. Peng also said he will vote for Lien and Soong because he believed they could bring a better life to the people of Taiwan, including an actor like himself.
■ Election
Foreigners to observe poll
More than 40 US academics and experts on East Asia affairs are expected to come to Taiwan to observe Saturday's election. Tang Ben, director of the Asian Studies Center of American Claremont Institute said the observers are all either professors or experts from think tanks. They include Stanley Rosen, a political science professor at the University of Southern California, and Richard Baum, the director of the Center for Chinese Studies at UCLA. Some of the observers have been invited by the government or civic groups. Rosen, who left for Taipei Monday night, said this will be the third time he will observe an election in Taiwan. He was here for the 1991 legislative elections and the 2001 Kaohsiung mayoral election.
■ Politics
Chang sues fugitive tycoon
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chang Ching-fang (張清芳) filed a libel lawsuit against fugitive Tuntex chief Chen Yu-hao (陳由豪) yesterday over Chen's accusations that he had meddled in the bidding for a construction project. Chang said starting that March 1, the fugitive tycoon has made contradictory accusations to tarnish his reputation but failed to produce solid evidence that he had broken the law. On Monday, Chen held a press conference in the US, accusing Chang of sending his assistant to apply pressure on Tung Ting Gas Corp in order to gain from the Tatan thermal power plant project in Taoyuan. Chen also played a tape he claimed was a recording of a conversation between Chang's aide and Tung Ting's president. Chang said the authenticity of the voices on the tape could not be proved and he demanded Chen desist in making unfounded allegations.
■ Election
CEC gives voter numbers
More than 16.5 million people are eligible to vote in this Saturday's election, the Central Election Commission announced yesterday. The exact number of eligible voters stands at 16,507,179, according to the commission's newly released election gazette. The number of people eligible to vote in the referendum is 16,497,746. The commission said the difference between the two numbers is due to the fact that overseas Taiwanese who have registered for the election but do not have legal residence in Taiwan cannot vote in the referendum. Taipei County has the largest number of eligible voters: 2,685,778, while Taipei City has 1,981,562 and Kaohsiung has 1,117,380. Other large constituencies include Taoyuan County with 1,273,026 eligible voters, Taichung County with 1,070,877, Changhua County with 947,526, Kaohsiung County with 919,717, Tainan County with 826,288 and Pingtung County with 669,646.
People can take the Taipei MRT free of charge if they access it at Nanjing Sanmin Station or Taipei Arena Station on the Green Line between 12am and 6am on Jan. 1, the Taipei Department of Transportation said on Friday, outlining its plans to ease crowding during New Year’s events in the capital. More than 200,000 people are expected to attend New Year’s Eve events in Taipei, with singer A-mei (張惠妹) performing at the Taipei Dome and the city government’s New Year’s Eve party at Taipei City Hall Plaza, the department said. As people have tended to use the MRT’s Blue or
Civil society groups yesterday protested outside the Legislative Yuan, decrying Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) efforts to pass three major bills that they said would seriously harm Taiwan’s democracy, and called to oust KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁). It was the second night of the three-day “Bluebird wintertime action” protests in Taipei, with organizers announcing that 8,000 people attended. Organized by Taiwan Citizen Front, the Economic Democracy Union (EDU) and a coalition of civil groups, about 6,000 people began a demonstration in front of KMT party headquarters in Taipei on Wednesday, organizers said. For the third day, the organizers asked people to assemble
Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
Taiwanese professional baseball should update sports stadiums and boost engagement to enhance fans’ experience, Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) in an interview on Friday. The league has urged Farglory Group and the Taipei City Government to improve the Taipei Dome’s outdated equipment, including relatively rudimentary television and sound systems, and poor technology, he said. The Tokyo Dome has markedly better television and sound systems, despite being 30 years old, because its managers continually upgraded its equipment, Tsai said. In contrast, the Taipei Dome lacked even a room for referees
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