The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday praised Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) for having “concretely responded” to protesting students’ demands to enact a law overseeing all cross-straits agreements before reviewing the controversial cross-strait service trade agreement.
Flanked by governing and opposition lawmakers, Wang visited the students, who have been occupying the legislative chamber since March 18 in protest against the government’s handling of the service trade pact, and announced he would not call a “consultative meeting” between legislative caucuses before the oversight law has been legislated.
“Over the 20 days, the DPP repeatedly called on President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to face the students and respond to their appeals to end the standoff. Unfortunately, Ma neglected the students and public voices that support the students,” DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) told a press conference yesterday afternoon held at the party’s headquarters.
“I believe the latest development is the first step toward an all-satisfying solution” to the current impasse at the legislature, where students protesting the service trade agreement are facing mounting pressure to return the main chamber to lawmakers.
Students have not just been protesting the “black-box procedures” for negotiating the pact with China and its contents, but also highlighting “serious trouble” in the country’s constitutional democracy, in that it no longer serves as a tool to solve problems when the popularly elected government has been adamant in pushing ahead a policy in violation of the majority of the public’s opinion, Su said.
As the majority view of the public has been “trampled upon” repeatedly, injustices against the younger generation have not been addressed and social justice remains illusive, as improvements in cross-strait ties have churned out benefits for only a few, Su added.
He lauded the students for “having done a good job” at this juncture in history.
Su added that the DPP hopes different versions of draft will be discussed and reviewed in the legislature and that during the review process, lawmakers will be able to conduct dialogues with students and respond to their appeals as well as accept voices from the public, and thereby produce a bill that could successfully monitor cross-strait exchanges.
Separately yesterday, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海) chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘) said in an e-mailed statement that he admires Wang’s wisdom and feels sympathy for the students.
Gou, whose company assembles Apple Inc’s iPhones at factories in China, called on the students and all political parties to learn to let go of their differences so Taiwan can move forward.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old