Calling himself an "engineer of Taiwan's new constitution" in his legislative campaign ads, David Huang (黃適卓) said that he was led into politics by both his father, Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Chairman Huang Chu-wen (黃主文) and former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝).
The elder Huang is a political veteran who has served as minister of interior during Lee's presidency. Despite this background, David Huang says it never previously occurred to him to go into politics and that he expected to remain an academic for the rest of his life.
After having obtaining his doctoral degree in public administration at the University of Southern California in 2001, Huang became an assistant professor at Tamkang University. He also served as a committee member in the Examination Yuan until he decided to run for a legislator's seat.
Former TSU deputy secretary-general Chen Hong-chi (陳鴻基), who failed to win a legislative seat in the southern constituency of Taipei City, where Huang is now campaigning, said the party needed new blood and withdrew his candidacy for this year's elections in Huang's favor, with the approval of Lee.
Although Lee supported Huang's nomination, however, his mother Huang Shu-ying (黃淑英) was opposed him following his father's footsteps at first because she thought life as a lawmaker was too demanding. Eventually Lee persuaded her to change her mind and support her son's campaign.
Changing his career in midstream from academia to politics, Huang admitted that he took some time to learn campaigning techniques, such as how to get along with voters and how to promote himself with campaign rhetoric. He now thinks he has a good grasp of the essentials.
Using "the legacy of responsible democracy" as one of his campaign slogans, Huang's campaign ads feature both Lee and his father and portray Huang as someone ready to pick up the torch for promoting Taiwan-centered national identification to the younger generation. Huang has said he will devote himself to rectifying the country's name and creating a new constitution for Taiwan.
Highlighting his image as a pro-independence advocate, Huang aims to grab a legislative seat in Taipei City's southern constituency, which is one of the most keenly fought over with more than 30 candidates contending for 10 seats.
But he stressed that he cannot ride to an election victory in the coattails of his father or Lee but will have to build his own individual support from the ground up. His platform, he says, will eventually become the mainstream political position in Taiwan.
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe (李延賀) has been sentenced to three years in prison, fined 50,000 yuan (US$6,890) in personal assets and deprived political rights for one year for “inciting secession” in China, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said today. The Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court announced the verdict on Feb. 17, Chen said. The trial was conducted lawfully, and in an open and fair manner, he said, adding that the verdict has since come into legal effect. The defendant reportedly admitted guilt and would appeal within the statutory appeal period, he said, adding that the defendant and his family have