Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀) became the sole contender in the primary for Yilan County commissioner, after opponents Hsieh Tsan-hui (謝燦輝) and Chiang Yung-ho (江永和) bowed out, the party said yesterday.
Hsieh and Chiang, mayors of Dongshan (東山) and Yuanshan (員山) townships respectively were asked to drop their bids during a meeting at the party’s headquarters on Tuesday, and were asked to “consider the greater good of the party,” a source said.
“I do not like it,” Hsieh said, adding that the party officials at the meeting said that they had reviewed the situation in Yilan and decided on the contenders for the greater good of the party and party solidarity.
Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times
Hsieh said that by the time he left the meeting, there were already rumors of Chiang and him backing out, adding that the situation reeked of a pre-arranged scenario and would only cause confusion among supporters.
Chiang said he wished the party would nominate individuals in hopes of finding a person who everyone in the pan-green camp could accept and support.
With their withdrawal from the primary, Hsieh and Chiang would not be participating in televised debates or popularity polls, DPP spokesperson Ho Meng-hua (何孟樺) said.
With the party reportedly paving the way for Chen by removing Hsieh and Chiang, chances are still high that it might yet tap Yilan County Acting Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德) as a candidate, pundits said.
Asked for comment, Chen Ou-po said that he adhered to the party’s nomination processes and would respect its decisions.
Chen Ou-po denied that the meeting on Tuesday sought to dissuade Hsieh and Chiang from running, adding that all three contenders reached the consensus that they must stand united and keep the larger picture in mind.
Regarding rumors that Derek Chen could be tapped for nomination, Chen Ou-po said that there would be no such option once the party initiates the registration process for the primary.
Asked if he was worried that the party would not name him and would instead announce Chen Ou-po as its candidate, Derek Chen said during an interview that he was not in a position to comment, as he had not registered for the primary.
The DPP is facing difficult challenges in Yilan County, and it would require collective wisdom and strength to handle the county commissioner election, Derek Chen said.
‘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
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
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
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