Former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
While urging the government to focus its efforts on taking care of public livelihood, Ma promised to work on improving the domestic economy and to push for social harmony if elected as president.
"More than 23,00 people commit suicide every year, but the government only cares about tearing down the walls surrounding CKS hall," Ma said while attending a ceremony to celebrate the founding of his group of supporters in Jhonghe City (
As the group vowed to spare no effort in helping Ma win the elections next year, Ma, who declared his candidacy early last month, pledged to demonstrate his determination in pursuing the presidency and seeking a solution to the nation's plight.
"People ask me what's on my mind as I pursue the presidency and when they cheer me on. I am thinking of how to save Taiwan from poverty," Ma said.
While acknowledging that his recent indictment on corruption charges was a setback, Ma expressed confidence that the KMT would win in the race next year.
"The setbacks and humiliations I've faced in the last six months were more than what I've encountered in my entire life. But I am not afraid. Ma Ying-jeou will not be defeated," he added.
Jhonghe City was the first stop of Ma's nationwide presidential campaign tour to attract grassroots support.
In addition to forming grassroots support groups around the country, Ma is lining up staff for a presidential campaign office. Most of the staff from his stint as KMT chairman and some from his tenure as Taipei mayor, including former deputy mayor King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) and former deputy director of the KMT's Organization and Development Committee Chang Wang-hao (張王浩), have signed on.
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
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A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at