■ Politics
Rally not `off-limits': KMT
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said yesterday that it will leave the decision of whether to join today's march against China's "Anti-Secession" Law up to individual members."This is an event organized by the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP]. The political platform, national ideology and stance on cross-strait relations are all different from the KMT. If there are party members that want to participate in the rally, then the KMT is unable to prevent them from joining. However, we trust the judgement of our party members," KMT spokesman Chang Jung-kung (張榮恭) said. He added that if there are KMT party members who attend to show their support of the Republic of China and call upon President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to uphold his "four noes" policy, then the KMT will not "hinder" them. Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), a KMT vice chairman, said yesterday that he was unsure whether or he would attend.
■ Fisheries
Seminar set for Monday
A seminar on deep-sea fishing manpower issues will be held on Monday as part of the government's efforts to formulate new policy and strategies for sustainable fishery industry development, a Council of Agriculture official said yesterday. The seminar, to be organized by the council's Fishery Administration, will focus on the supply and demand of fishing manpower, upgrading the quality of the industry's workforce and improvement of the shipboard working environment, the official said. The one-day seminar will bring together officials from city and county governments, representatives of fishing industry associations, academics and experts to explore manpower-related problems faced by fishing-boat owners and feasible measures to resolve them, the official said. The seminar will be the first of a series of forums to be held this year on issues affecting the fishing industry.
■ Politics
KMT revises nominee list
The KMT has released a list on Thursday night of three principles it will use when considering who it will nominate for the National Assembly Representatives' election on May 14. It said it would rank Chen Chin-jang (陳金讓), the party's nominee for the assembly's speaker, as No.1, while city mayors and county commissioners are to be ranked outside of the number the party expects to win seats. Chen is a former National Assembly speaker. Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was originally ranked No.1 in the party's original list of nominees but on the new list he is ranked 135 out of 160. Penghu County Commissioner Lai Feng-wei (賴峰偉 ) is No.126 on the new list, the highest of any local official. The statement said the changes reflect the party's emphasis on academics and youth.
■ National security
Official punished
The Judicial Yuan announced yesterday that the president's former chief aide-de-camp, Lieutenant General Chen Tsai-fu (陳再福), would be barred for one year from working in government for failing in his responsibilities in connection with the March 19 assassination attempt on President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (陳水扁). The report said Chen Tsai-fu's poor leadership contributed to the incident. The report said Chen Tsai-fu failed to ask the president and vice-president to put on bullet-proof vests and he broke rules regarding motorcade formation, which resulted in the failure to properly guard the two leaders.
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
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