Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators yesterday said they are considering withdrawing from the party or the KMT caucus over the loss of their legislative nominations or disagreement with caucus ideals.
KMT Legislator Lee Sen-zong (
"Because of our fundamental differences, either the caucus leaves or we [Lee and several other KMT legislators] leave. It is very simple," Lee said.
The Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times' sister paper) reported yesterday that at least six KMT lawmakers who failed to secure the party's nomination for next year's legislative election or who complained about unfair treatment in the primary are thinking about leaving the KMT or becoming independent from the KMT caucus.
The six legislators include Lee, Ko Chun-hsiung (柯俊雄), Chang Chang-tsair (張昌財), Chen Chao-rung (陳朝容) and Lin Cheng-feng (林正峰) the Liberty Times reported.
When asked whether he may join the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Lee said he was considering the possibility.
"If [KMT presidential candidate] Ma [Ying-jeou (馬英九)] likes us, we will stay. If he doesn't, we will say goodbye [to the KMT]," he said.
Lee skipped the KMT's primary against Wu Yu-sheng (
Lee said he would seek reelection in Tamsui, Taipei County, even though Wu is also running for a legislative post there.
When approached by reporters yesterday, Chang said he felt disillusioned by politics.
"I want to leave politics because I have seen enough of its ugly side. I am very disappointed," he said.
Chen yesterday also confirmed to the press that he is considering leaving the KMT caucus, but he dismissed media speculation that he, Ko and Chang were planning on leaving the caucus together.
Lin dismissed the Liberty Times report yesterday, while Ko was unavailable for comment.
KMT spokesman Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) said the party valued the legislators' opinions very much, and has been trying to dissuade them from leaving the party. Su said KMT Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) and Ma had already talked to Lee, and would continue to negotiate with him and other legislators.
"We are making a last effort to dissuade them from leaving the party, and hoping that they won't do something that will only please our opponents," Su said.
Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih
An undersea cable to Penghu County has been severed, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said today, with a Chinese-funded ship suspected of being responsible. It comes just a month after a Chinese ship was suspected of severing an undersea cable north of Keelung Harbor. The National Communications and Cyber Security Center received a report at 3:03am today from Chunghwa Telecom that the No. 3 cable from Taiwan to Penghu was severed 14.7km off the coast of Tainan, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) upon receiving a report from Chunghwa Telecom began to monitor the Togolese-flagged Hong Tai (宏泰)
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
RSS