Sunflower movement leader Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) yesterday urged young people to return home and vote in tomorrow’s elections, endorsing “third force” parties in a push against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) calls to concentrate “pan-green” votes.
“This election is extremely crucial and has the largest number of new parties in Taiwan’s history, with the appearance of many parties advocating progressive reform,” he said. “If we could get some of these new parties into the legislature, we would be able to change the political spectrum so that we have more choices than just ‘blue’ and ‘green.’”
He urged voters to use their conscience and disregard statements from DPP officials calling for “pan-green” voters to concentrate their ballots to protect the party’s “safe” list of legislator-at-large candidates.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
“Respect your own thoughts — vote for whoever you intended to vote for and do not change just because people are yelling for votes to be concentrated,” he said, adding that calls for voters to “give up” one party to “save” another were “extremely undemocratic.”
Only if both the New Power Party and Green Party–Social Democratic Party Alliance make it into the legislature could Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) seats be minimized, he said.
Lin made his remarks at an alliance event next to Taipei Main Station calling for young people to return home to vote in the presidential and legislative elections.
A group of activists stood with Lin and alliance candidate Lu Hsin-chieh (呂欣潔) beside the steam locomotive display outside the station, shouting slogans calling for young people to vote for the alliance as a “steam engine for democracy,” before passing out party material.
Lin said that campaigning yesterday and today is crucial because young people have not jumped to return home and vote, based on current ticket sales.
Meanwhile a number of authors, directors and artists voiced their support for the alliance at a separate event yesterday, including director Cheng Yu-chieh (鄭有傑), writer-director Lou Yi-an (樓一安) and documentary filmmaker Yang Li-chou (楊力州).
Cheng said he is willing to support the alliance because the party is concerned about environmental protection and land rights.
The party represent a new choice, he said.
Lou said that he believed that the nation needed a party with progressive values, calling both the KMT and DPP “less than ideal,” because they have always been focused on governing.
He is willing to support the alliance because he was attracted to its concern for the environment and housing rights, he said.
Additional reporting by Chen Yu-fu
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
Prosecutors today declined to say who was questioned regarding alleged forgery on petitions to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, after Chinese-language media earlier reported that members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Youth League were brought in for questioning. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau confirmed that two people had been questioned, but did not disclose any further information about the ongoing investigation. KMT Youth League members Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) and Liu Szu-yin (劉思吟) — who are leading the effort to recall DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) — both posted on Facebook saying: “I
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
Firefighters are working to put out a fire on Taipei’s Yangmingshan (陽明山) reported earlier this morning. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The Taipei Fire Department said it received a report of a fire at Xiaoyoukeng (小油坑) at 11:17am, dispatching four command vehicles, 16 firetrucks, one ambulance and 72 personnel. The fire is still burning on about 250m² of land, according to initial estimates, as eyewitnesses reported seeing smoke rising from the mountain. The Yangmingshan National Park Headquarters on Facebook said the Qixingshan (七星山) hiking trail starting from Xiaoyoukeng and the Xiaoyoukeng parking lot are closed as firefighters work to put
RSS