Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Lo Chih-ming (羅志明) yesterday announced his withdrawal from the election for TSU chairman in the interests of political stability, after talking to former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) for about three hours at Lee's residence yesterday afternoon.
"Former president Lee told me he has observed that people are tired of the ongoing chaotic political situation and said that the TSU should set an example of consolidation and harmony for society," Lo said yesterday.
Reform is Priorty
"The important thing for the TSU right now is to reform the party and recruit more new blood so we have the base to democratize the TSU," Lo quoted Lee as saying.
"Therefore, I have decided to drop out of the TSU chairmanship election and not compete with Su Chin-chiang (
The three hopefuls for the TSU chairmanship, prior to Lo's announcement that he would withdraw, included Su, secretary-general of the National Cultural Association, TSU Legislator-at-large Kuo Lin-yung (
But some TSU members did not agree with the choice of Su, who Lee enlisted to campaign for the post before he left on a trip to Japan last week. As such, Lo and Kuo also announced they would join the race.
Kuo said yesterday he would respect Lee's opinion although he has not spoken with him on the issue yet.
Meanwhile, Lo said that Lee also spoke of the makeup of the next Cabinet.
Lee held a positive attitude toward cooperation between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the People First Party (PFP), he said.
"Former President Lee supports the so-called `united Cabinet' and urges everyone to support President Chen Shui-bian's (
Soong for Premier?
When asked whether Lee agreed with the suggestion that PFP Chairman James Soong (
Snow fell in the mountainous areas of northern, central and eastern Taiwan in the early hours of yesterday, as cold air currents moved south. In the northern municipality of Taoyuan, snow started falling at about 6am in Fusing District (復興), district head Su Tso-hsi (蘇佐璽) said. By 10am, Lalashan National Forest Recreation Area, as well as Hualing (華陵), Sanguang (三光) and Gaoyi (高義) boroughs had seen snowfall, Su said. In central Taiwan, Shei-Pa National Park in Miaoli County and Hehuanshan National Forest Recreation Area in Nantou County saw snowfall of 5cm and 6cm respectively, by 10am, staff at the parks said. It began snowing
Global bodies should stop excluding Taiwan for political reasons, President William Lai (賴清德) told Pope Francis in a letter, adding that he agrees war has no winners. The Vatican is one of only 12 countries to retain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, and Taipei has watched with concern efforts by Beijing and the Holy See to improve ties. In October, the Vatican and China extended an accord on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China for four years, pointing to a new level of trust between the two parties. Lai, writing to the pope in response to the pontiff’s message on Jan. 1’s
HOLIDAY EXERCISE: National forest recreation areas from north to south offer travelers a wide choice of sights to connect with nature and enjoy its benefits Hiking is a good way to improve one’s health, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency said, as it released a list of national forest recreation areas that travelers can visit during the Lunar New Year holiday. Taking a green shower of phytoncides in the woods could boost one’s immunity system and metabolism, agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) cited a Japanese study as saying. For people visiting northern Taiwan, Lin recommended the Dongyanshan National Forest Recreation Area in Taoyuan’s Fusing District (復興). Once an important plantation in the north, Dongyanshan (東眼山) has a number of historic monuments, he said. The area is broadly covered by
A Vietnamese migrant worker on Thursday won the NT$12 million (US$383,590) jackpot on a scratch-off lottery ticket she bought from a lottery shop in Changhua County’s Puyan Township (埔鹽), Taiwan Lottery Co said yesterday. The lottery winner, who is in her 30s and married, said she would continue to work in Taiwan and send her winnings to her family in Vietnam to improve their life. More Taiwanese and migrant workers have flocked to the lottery shop on Sec 2 of Jhangshuei Road (彰水路) to share in the luck. The shop owner, surnamed Chen (陳), said that his shop has been open for just