Following a series of disputes on negotiations between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and alternative political groups over cross-party collaborations in the coming legislative election, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) voiced her willingness to make more concessions.
“To have the forces of reform occupy more than 50 percent of the seats in the legislature, we must endorse the most competitive candidate in each electoral district. It is the DPP’s responsibility and the DPP’s rule of thumb in endorsing candidates,” Tsai said during a speech to the Taiwanese-American community in New York City on Friday during a 12-day visit to the US.
“When there is a candidate in the progressive camp who is most likely to win, of course the person does not have to be nominated by the DPP,” she said.
“If we can yield in the Taipei mayoral election, what else can we not yield?” Tsai added, referring to the DPP’s decision against nominating a candidate last year in the Taipei mayoral election.
The party threw its support behind independent then-candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who ultimately won a landslide victory.
Tsai said the DPP would establish a competitive, yet cooperative, relationship with other parties that hold common ideas, so that progressive political forces could stand united for a bigger objective.
Tsai was responding to recent criticism from veteran political activist Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) and politicians representing alternative political groups.
The critics said that, while the DPP agreed to yield seats to third-party political candidates, it is not conceding enough.
Tsai said that while she feels “a little saddened” by some of Lin’s words, she understands that it is because Lin has high expectations for Taiwan’s future and its democracy.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
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Former Taiwan People’s Party chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) may apply to visit home following the death of his father this morning, the Taipei Detention Center said. Ko’s father, Ko Cheng-fa (柯承發), passed away at 8:40am today at the Hsinchu branch of National Taiwan University Hospital. He was 94 years old. The center said Ko Wen-je was welcome to apply, but declined to say whether it had already received an application. The center also provides psychological counseling to people in detention as needed, it added, also declining to comment on Ko Wen-je’s mental state. Ko Wen-je is being held in detention as he awaits trial
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