Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (
"The four legislators went to an inappropriate place at an inappropriate time, caused social turmoil and cast a shadow on the election," Wu told a press conference yesterday afternoon.
Describing his feelings in response to the incident as "sad, sorry and ashamed."
PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES
Wu said: "I am asking all party members to keep a distance from our rivals' campaign events and avoid conflicts. We will step aside whenever they are campaigning."
KMT legislators Alex Fai (費鴻泰), Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才), Chen Chieh (陳杰) and Luo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) barged into Hsieh's Taipei campaign office on Wednesday afternoon with allegations that First Commercial Bank had waived the rental fees of the office.
The legislators, who demanded Minister of Finance Ho Chih-chin (
In a report presented at the press conference, the KMT said the incident was an official inspection and was not an incident of trespassing on private property nor was there kicking of doors by the KMT legislators as the DPP has claimed.
"I am willing to apologize to the public for the chaos we created. I am also willing to extend my apology to Mr. Hsieh if he feels uncomfortable and is upset by the incident," said Fai at the press conference.
Fai had offered his resignation as the party's caucus whip late on Wednesday night. He said he would quit his post and leave politics forever should the DPP produce any evidence proving that he "kicked open" the campaign headquarters' doors.
Lo also apologized to KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for the possible the impact on his election bid, adding he "did not expect that a simple on-the-spot inspection would turn into a violent clash."
Lo offered his resignation as a finance committee member in the legislature and said he would support a non-KMT legislator taking over his position. Chen and Luo also offered apologies.
Ma, offering his apology yesterday, pledged to examine the behavior of the party's legislators.
He said the KMT would be more cautious about exercising its rights in the legislature, while urging the DPP not to sensationalize the incident.
At a separate setting yesterday, Hsieh warned against the danger of one-party control of both the legislature and the executive, urging the public to use their ballots to see justice is done.
Hsieh promised that if elected, he would protect the safety and the basic human rights of every individual.
"It is a problem that concerns not only me but also the general public," he said.
Hsieh said it is all nice and well that Ma apologized, but it shows he cannot control his party's legislators.
As Ma yesterday said that it was a public issue whether Hsieh's campaign was illegally leasing the office building, Hsieh said he had no problem discussing the issue. However, it was another issue for KMT legislators to barge into his campaign headquarters and then condemn the violence of his team members.
"It is to mistake the effect for the cause," he said. "It is like a woman who is sexually harassed by a man and slaps the man on the face. The man turns around and then accuses the woman of brutality."
Additional reporting by Ko Shu-ling and CNA
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
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
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
RSS