The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus threw its support yesterday behind President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) for voicing concern on Monday about the judiciary intervening in next year's presidential election.
Calling the president's remarks "impartial" and "objective," DPP whip Wang Tuoh (
"After the DPP came to power [in 2000], Taiwan's judiciary has made major progress and become much more impartial and objective, but a few good-for-nothing prosecutors and judges still embrace very obvious ideology and party preference," Wang said.
"They exploit their judicial authority to attack candidates from the political party they dislike while covering up for other candidates from the party they do like," Wang said, citing the actions of former Kaohsiung prosecutor Lo Chien-hsun (
The DPP has claimed that Lo was behind the leak of an official document to the Chinese-language Next Magazine concerning DPP presidential candidate Frank Hsieh's (謝長廷) alleged involvement in the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp scandal. An investigation into the leak is ongoing.
Last year Lo alleged that Hsieh had accepted large political donations from several construction companies in 2005 when he was Kaohsiung mayor.
Chen raised his concerns during a meeting with former East German prime minister Lothar de Maiziere at the Presidential Office on Monday. Chen said that he was worried that some judges, prosecutors and investigators were attempting to interfere in the presidential poll.
Chen told de Maiziere that he hoped such a situation would not happen here, but he was afraid "it was very difficult."
Chen said it was unfortunate that Taiwan had not followed Germany's example. A reunified Germany found 50 percent of former East German judges unfit to continue in their jobs.
"Taiwan's cultivation and retirement system for judges is very weak," Wang said when asked if Taiwan should follow Germany's example.
"Many prosecutors or judges only know how to take exams and study. They are not sophisticated ... and that may result in unjust cases," he said, urging the judiciary to review its training and personnel system.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers, on the other hand, criticized Chen's remarks. They said the president had slandered judicial personnel and seriously damaged the judiciary's credibility.
KMT Legislator Hsu Shao-ping (
"If [Chen's] accusation is true, his efforts at judicial reform over the past seven years have failed. If it's not, his comments have hurt Taiwan's democracy," Hsu said. "Either way, Chen should be ashamed of himself."
KMT Legislator Alex Fai (費鴻泰) said that Chen's criticism was "inappropriate" because "he has been involved in irregularities."
First lady Wu Shu-jen (
Chen, who as president enjoys constitutional immunity from prosecution, has not been charged.
"It's the first time that the president thrust a hand in the judiciary in such a brazen way. To remove half of the judicial personnel -- those who don't listen to him -- from their positions?" Fai said.
"It's a shame that we have such a president," he said.
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
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
Taiwan and its Pacific ally Tuvalu on Tuesday signed two accords aimed at facilitating bilateral cooperation on labor affairs, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The governments inked two agreements in Taipei, witnessed by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and visiting Deputy Tuvaluan Prime Minister Panapasi Nelesone, MOFA said in a news release. According to MOFA, the agreements will facilitate cooperation on labor issues and allow the two sides to mutually recognize seafarers’ certificates and related training. Taiwan would also continue to collaborate with Tuvalu across various fields to promote economic prosperity as well as the well-being of their
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