The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday unveiled its legislator-at-large nominees for next year’s election, with Kuma Academy cofounder Puma Shen (沈伯洋) joining party stalwarts Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) and party caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) at the top of the list.
The DPP Central Standing Committee finalized and approved the nominees at its regular midweek meeting.
Six men and six women make up the first 12 nominees, considered “safe positions” in winning enough votes to serve as legislators next year.
Photo: Wu Po-hsuan, Taipei Times
Legislators-at-large are elected through political party ballots. The New Power Party, the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Green Party Taiwan have already decided their nominees, while the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has delayed its announcement to Sunday.
First on the DPP list is Jing Chuan Child Safety Foundation director Lin Yue-chin (林月琴), followed by Shen, a criminology professor at National Taipei University and chairman of Doublethink Lab.
He is also cofounder of the Kuma Academy, a nonprofit civil defense organization that trains people in first aid and media literacy to combat Chinese disinformation.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
“We are facing ever-changing situations in cyberattacks and infiltration from an enemy state, and it is not just the civilians who should prepare to defend Taiwan, but our government must also establish systems to safeguard our nation,” Shen said yesterday.
As a legislator-at-large, he would seek to set up defense networks to combat the cognitive warfare Taiwanese need to guard against, he said.
Third on the list is Taiwan Parks and Playgrounds for Children by Children chairwoman Ariel Chang (張雅琳), followed by Legislator Hung Sun-han (洪申翰), an environmentalist and advocate for renewable energy.
At No. 5 is Malaysia-born Legislator Lo Mei-ling (羅美玲), who represents “new Taiwanese citizen groups,” such as foreigners married to Taiwanese. Lo previously served as a Nantou County councilor before becoming a legislator in 2020.
You is listed at No. 6, followed by Legislator Fan Yun (范雲), a women’s rights advocate, professor of sociology and founder of the Social Democratic Party.
At No. 8 is Ker, who represents Hsinchu City and has served in the legislature for nine consecutive terms over two decades.
Ker is followed by current legislators who represent powerful groups within the DPP: Shen Fa-hui (沈發惠) of the New Tide faction, Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) of a faction close to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and DPP spokeswoman Michelle Lin (林楚茵) of the Taiwan Forward Foundation, founded by media tycoon Lin Kun-hai (林崑海), who died last year.
Listed at No. 12 is entertainer and TV show host Jean Kuo (郭昱晴), who is also an artist and author, followed by Hope Foundation for Cancer Care chairman Wang Cheng-hsu (王正旭), who represents medical professionals, and civil engineering professor Wang Yi-chuan (王義川), a popular pundit on TV news and chief strategist at the Taiwan Thinktank.
Notably absent from the list is former minister of health and welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who gained wide appeal for his efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, but lost as the DPP’s candidate in Taipei’s mayoral election last year.
People should continue to cheer for Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷) at the Olympics Games in Paris today, despite British writer J.K. Rowling’s remarks against her, the Sports Administration said in a statement on Wednesday. Rowling recently shared on X a story from the Guardian about Lin and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif being cleared to compete in the Olympic Games in Paris this year despite having failed gender eligibility tests at the International Boxing Association Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi last year. “What will it take to end this insanity? A female boxer left with life-altering injuries? A female boxer
Five countries have in the past few months canceled preferential visa treatment for Taiwan passport holders due to pressure from China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. It was responding to a report by the National Audit Office that the number of countries offering preferential visa treatment to holders of Taiwan passports had dropped from 171 at the end of last year to 166 in April. In its Central Government Budget Audit Report, the National Audit Office also said that the ministry had failed to provide timely updates on the visa changes, which could affect Taiwan passport holders’ overseas travel. In response
More Taiwanese spectators at the Paris Olympics have reported having signs and banners confiscated by security staff or snatched by Chinese fans. Sandy Hsueh (薛雅俶), president of the Taiwanese Association in France, said that three security personnel confiscated a blank piece of cardboard from her at Sunday’s men’s doubles badminton final, in which Taiwan’s Lee Yang (李洋) and Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) defeated China’s Liang Weikeng (梁偉鏗) and Wang Chang (王昶) to win their second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the event. A staff member told her they had “received an instruction from the Olympic Games saying that anything related to Taiwan or
DISCRIMINATORY: Airlines’ uniform requirements contravene the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, a watchdog said Airline companies’ appearance requirements obliging female flight attendants to wear pencil skirts and high heels are discriminatory, and they should be able to have the option to wear pants, the National Human Rights Commission said in a report yesterday. Completing a year-long probe, commission members said the uniform requirements of Taiwan’s air carriers contravened the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). To fight gender-based discrimination, government agencies should issue guidelines and require airlines to make changes so that female flight attendants have the option to wear pants, the report said. The Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union in