Former vice president Lien Chan (連戰) last night apologized for having publicly used the word “bastard” (混蛋), which he said was not directed at any specific person.
Lien on Monday, at a meeting held by the Alliance of Anti-Independence Chinese, unleashed a torrent of abuse against independent Taipei mayoral candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) — the main opponent for his son, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei mayoral candidate Sean Lien (連勝文), in the next Saturday’s election — saying Ko is a third-generation descendant of a man who served the Japanese colonial government.
“I absolutely cannot stand the thought of having someone whose grandfather changed his surname to a Japanese one during the Japanese colonial era as mayor of Taipei. He [Ko] calls himself a commoner and us the privileged few, but I call him a ‘bastard,’” Lien Chan said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
His remarks have since drawn criticism from historians, including even KMT member Chiu Fu-sheng (邱復生), who expressed his surprise at Lien Chan publicly calling Ko a “bastard,” adding it was hard to respect Lien Chan anymore and that “elections are like drugs and can make people crazy.”
Lien Chan last night, at a campaign rally, said the word “bastard” had been intended to criticize people dividing and polarizing society every time an election surfaces and not any particular person.
He said that after reflection, his words “were strong and inappropriate” and that he would like to apologize for the comments, which he said had been misinterpeted.
In other developments, Sean Lien yesterday said that he has been a victim of cyberbullying for nearly a year since he threw his hat into the ring, and that it is becoming severe.
Speaking to a group of religious leaders yesterday to canvass votes for next Saturday’s election, Sean Lien said he has been able to withstand all the cyberbullying done through anonymous attacks, showing that he can work well under pressure, a capability he said a leader of the city needs to have.
“We have seen the darkest and most despicable side of humanity in the [run-up to the] election. Every time there is an election, there emerges vilification, rumors and tricks, dirty tricks. These tactics are not something the next generation should be learning,” Sean Lien said.
In response to media inquires regarding a report in yesterday’s Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) that the KMT has asked the Executive Yuan to help boost the turnout of a parade to support Sean Lien today by mobilizing 10,000 people, Sean Lien said that he was not aware of any such action.
Sean Lien said he has had many text messages recently from supporters saying they would join the parade.
“Most of them will join us spontaneously,” he said.
The first of the two televised forums held by the city’s election commission for the seven mayoral candidates to deliver their policy platforms is scheduled for today, followed by the second one on Wednesday.
Sean Lien said he would not be able to join the forum today because of the parade, but he added that he would make sure to attend the second one.
Today’s parade is scheduled to begin at 2pm at the Taipei City Hall plaza, from where it is to march toward Ketalagan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building along Renai Road.
It is to be followed by a rally at the boulevard at 4pm, according to Sean Lien’s campaign office.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who also serves as KMT chairman, is also scheduled to join the parade, it added.
‘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
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
RSS