Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Shen Fu-hsiung (
It has been rumored that Shen will run as a candidate of the Third Social Party, a new party formed by former DPP "Young Turk" Chou Yi-cheng (
Shen said he had devoted a lot of time and effort to helping Chou establish the party, but that didn't mean that he would be a legislator-at-large candidate for the party.
"The contribution that a lawmaker of a small party, which holds only one or two legislative seats, can make to the country is trivial," Shen said.
But Shen said he would continue to help the Third Social Party in the future to convey his vision of cross-strait relations, public policies and blind spots in the two-party duopoly by exchanging his ideas with young students.
Shen said his decision to quit the DPP was not timed to coincide with the decision by the party's Central Standing Committee to recommend President Chen Shui-bian (
Shen was accused of picking the timing to humiliate the DPP when the party was trying to create an image of unity following the row over its "normal country" resolution.
"It was just a coincidence," Shen said.
Shen said he happened to meet Lee Cheng-yee (
Former DPP legislator Lin Wei-chou (
Lin quit the DPP in March last year expressing his "disappointment" over the party's indifference to "issues that deserve genuine attention."
Lin yesterday said that he had joined the Third Social Party because he hoped the country would have a third choice in addition to the DPP and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
He also said he has lost his passion for politics.
Meanwhile, Chou said yesterday that he planned to inaugurate the party in the middle of this month and announce its nominations for legislators and legislators-at-large.
Chou, who said yesterday that he was kicked out of the DPP a few weeks ago, said that he felt morally obligated to stand in the legislative elections, but he would be the last person to join the race.
When asked about the possibility of Shen running as the party's flag bearer in the legislative polls, Chou said that it was possible but not finalized.
DEFENSE: The National Security Bureau promised to expand communication and intelligence cooperation with global partners and enhance its strategic analytical skills China has not only increased military exercises and “gray zone” tactics against Taiwan this year, but also continues to recruit military personnel for espionage, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday in a report to the Legislative Yuan. The bureau submitted the report ahead of NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen’s (蔡明彥) appearance before the Foreign and National Defense Committee today. Last year, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted “Joint Sword-2024A and B” military exercises targeting Taiwan and carried out 40 combat readiness patrols, the bureau said. In addition, Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s airspace 3,070 times last year, up about
The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) yesterday announced a fundraising campaign to support survivors of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, with two prayer events scheduled in Taipei and Taichung later this week. “While initial rescue operations have concluded [in Myanmar], many survivors are now facing increasingly difficult living conditions,” OCAC Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) told a news conference in Taipei. The fundraising campaign, which runs through May 31, is focused on supporting the reconstruction of damaged overseas compatriot schools, assisting students from Myanmar in Taiwan, and providing essential items, such as drinking water, food and medical supplies,
STRICTER ENFORCEMENT: Taipei authorities warned against drunk cycling after a sharp rise in riding under the influence, urging greater public awareness of its illegality Taipei authorities have issued a public warning urging people not to ride bicycles after consuming alcohol, following a sharp rise in riding under the influence (DUI) cases involving bicycles. Five hundred and seven people were charged with DUI last year while riding YouBikes, personal bicycles, or other self-propelled two-wheelers — a fourfold increase from the previous year, data released by the Taipei Police Department’s Traffic Division showed. Of these, 33 cases were considered severe enough to be prosecuted under “offenses against public safety,” the data showed. Under the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例), bicycles — including YouBikes and other
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 8:31am today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was located in Hualien County, about 70.3 kilometers south southwest of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 23.2km, according to the administration. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County, where it measured 3 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 2 in Hualien and Nantou counties, the CWA said.
RSS