More than 1,000 pro-independence and civic associations joined the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday in establishing an alliance aimed at promoting a referendum on recovering the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) stolen assets.
DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun told a press conference that the number of groups which had joined the referendum campaign symbolized "the Taiwanese people's pursuit of the truth."
Calling the KMT "inherently structured for corruption," Yu said that although former KMT chairman Lien Chan (連戰) had once promised to return the assets to the people -- a promise that Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) endorsed -- the KMT has employed "delaying tactics" in dealing with its assets.
PHOTO: LIU HSIN-DE, TAIPEI TIMES
Ma has called the assets a "historical problem," but the KMT has continued selling its assets, the DPP chief said.
If the problem were merely a historical issue, Yu said, then the KMT should not have blocked a bill designed to recover the stolen assets from being put on legislative agenda 102 times, Yu said.
Yu said that the DPP had submitted a proposal to hold a referendum on recovering the assets to the Cabinet's Referendum Review Commission in early September, but that the commission had failed to follow regulations and finish reviewing the proposal within a month.
DPP Secretary-General Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said the party hoped the commission would complete the review by tomorrow, so that the party could launch a signature campaign later this month.
Lin said the alliance picked Oct. 31 as the date to launch its establishment because it was former dictator Chiang Kai-shek's (
The party wished to highlight the fact that the KMT's party assets problem began when Chiang came to Taiwan, he said.
"Eastern European [countries] and Russia did not become real democracies until their party assets problems were dealt with," Lin said.
Taiwan Solidarity Union Secretary General Lin Chih-chia (
Members of the alliance include the Taiwan Association of University Professors, the Kiwanis Taiwan, the Taiwan Society, Constitutional Reform Alliance, the Taiwan United Nations Alliance and the Taiwan Law Society.
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
Prosecutors today declined to say who was questioned regarding alleged forgery on petitions to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, after Chinese-language media earlier reported that members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Youth League were brought in for questioning. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau confirmed that two people had been questioned, but did not disclose any further information about the ongoing investigation. KMT Youth League members Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) and Liu Szu-yin (劉思吟) — who are leading the effort to recall DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) — both posted on Facebook saying: “I
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 today amid outcry over his decision to wear a Nazi armband to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case last night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and covering the book with his coat. Lee said today that this is a serious