Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said he is to leave the post with many “beautiful memories,” including presiding over the party’s primary process to decide the presidential ticket and the party’s success in January’s national elections.
Yesterday was the last time Cho presided over a meeting of the DPP Central Standing Committee, as he is to turn over the party’s reins to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Wednesday next week, when she is to be inaugurated for a second term as president and serve concurrently as party chairperson.
DPP Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉), a former top aide to then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), and DPP Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆), one of the prominent youth leaders of the 2014 Sunflower Movement, are also to leave office on the same day, as Tsai is expected to bring along her own team to fill the party’s executive positions.
Media speculation about the their next moves is rife, including running as DPP candidates in future elections, Cabinet appointments or working for public foundations.
The three were mum when asked by reporters yesterday.
After the meeting, Cho said he is satisfied with the work that has been done with the contributions of party executives and all DPP members.
“That we have successfully made it through this past more than one year ... I will leave with many ‘beautiful memories’ and finish up with a meaningful full-stop,” he said.
Cho, who started his tenure in January last year, recounted presiding over by-elections for vacant legislator seats, the internal process to decide on the presidential and vice presidential nominees, and the arduous campaign for the presidential and legislative races, culminating in the party’s victory on Jan. 11.
He encouraged all party members to work selflessly for reform, and not to forget society’s expectations that “we must pass on these worthwhile traditions to the next generation.”
“There will always be winners and losers in a competition, and we all must deal with the result in a rational way,” he said.
However, Cho said he would also leave with some regrets as he was unable to mediate some disputes, such as an internal election to choose the head of the DPP’s regional office for Taipei, with former legislator Hsueh Ling (薛凌) and former Taipei City councilor Wang Hsiao-wei (王孝維) vying for the position.
Cho in the afternoon said talks were under way to resolve the differences between the two camps, and if no agreement can be achieved by 8pm, then the election for Taipei party office chief would be suspended for the time being.
As of press time last night, party officials said they were drafting a statement regarding a decision that would be announced today.
He also rejected allegations by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members about a campaign to recall Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), saying: “Our party is not directly involved in this. We have only followed its development closely.”
‘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
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
RSS