Independence supporters praise Lai

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Pro-independence advocates yesterday expressed strong support for Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai’s (賴清德) remarks about Taiwanese independence during his recent visit to Shanghai as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rejected Beijing’s claim that Taiwan’s future should be decided by “all Chinese people, including Taiwanese.”

The DPP’s independence charter and Resolution on Taiwan’s Future were part of the trajectory of Taiwan’s history and removing the charter would not eliminate the aspiration of Taiwanese for independence, Lai told an audience in Shanghai on Friday last week.

Lai says Shanghai trip a success

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) yesterday described his two-day trip to Shanghai as successful “city diplomacy,” and downplayed his comments about Taiwan independence and a potential presidential bid in 2016.

“Everything I said [in China] was no different than what I have said in Taiwan before. They understood that and they knew the point I was trying to make was seeking common ground and shelving differences,” Lai told a press conference at the Greater Tainan Government.

DPP lauds Tainan mayor

‘TAIWANESE VOICE’:Democratic Progressive Party members erupted in a chorus of praise in the wake of Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai’s comments in China
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) must seek common ground with Beijing while shelving its differences to achieve closer bilateral engagement, Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday.

“Taiwanese have become more suspicious of improving ties amid increasing bilateral exchanges because Beijing has been unable to hear ‘the voice of the other side.’ And that is why the DPP has decided that it must pursue engagement,” Lai said in Greater Tainan.

Lu urges new probe into ‘319 shooting’ incident

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday said she has found new evidence suggesting that the “319 shooting” incident was committed by at least three people and urged authorities to reopen the case for investigation, a day before the 10th anniversary of the controversial incident.

The 319 shooting incident was an attack on Lu and then-president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in Tainan on March 19, 2004, one day before the presidential election. A bullet grazed Chen’s stomach and left a 13cm wound, while another bullet hit Lu in the knee.

Tainan refuses to adjust curriculum

OBJECTIONS:Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai said the revised school curriculum outlines attempted to ‘brainwash’ pupils and presented a distorted view of history
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday that his municipality refused to adopt revised high-school curriculum outlines established by the Ministry of Education, adding that all municipal high schools would keep the current outlines.

Lai’s remarks came in the wake of the ministry’s move on Monday to approve a new high-school curriculum on Chinese literature and social sciences that it said contained “slight adjustments” based on the Constitution.

Tainan residents protest project, mayor’s nomination

By Loa Iok-sin  /  Staff reporter
Thu, Nov 21, 2013 - Page 3

A group of Greater Tainan residents affected by an underground railroad project yesterday protested outside the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters in Taipei as the party officially announced the nomination of incumbent Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) for re-election next year.

“Stop robbing us, Lai! Stop playing dumb, DPP,” the protesters shouted, urging the party not to nominate Lai unless he would talk with them to settle the dispute.

Former Tainan mayor willing to run in Taipei

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Hsu Tain-tsair (許添財) yesterday said he was prepared to stand as a candidate in the Taipei mayoral election next year, but stopped short of saying that he would enter the party primary.

“This is not a press conference to announce my bid, but one to tell people that I am ready to stand as the DPP’s candidate and I’m up for the task,” Hsu, a former Tainan mayor, told a press conference in Taipei.

Koo Kuan-min throws support behind William Lai

PASSING THE TORCH:The former presidential adviser prefers the Tainan mayor over Su or Tsai for the nomination, but he supports Su as chairman
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Former presidential adviser Koo Kuan-min (辜寬敏) yesterday threw his support behind Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) nomination in the presidential election in 2016, saying that it is time to pass the torch to the new generation of politicians.

Koo, 86, told a press briefing that while he was not yet close to the 52-year-old mayor, he “had high expectations” for Lai, who has finished high among local government leaders’ performance rankings for the past few years.

DPP local governments call for flood assistance

‘FLOODING PLIGHT’:The eight-year flood prevention program initiated under the DPP in 2006 ends this year, meaning projects will be suspended without more funds
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Five mayors and commissioners from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday appealed to the central government for more flood-prevention budget assistance after five cities and counties in southern Taiwan were hit by devastating floods last week.

Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德), Greater Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊), Chiayi County Commissioner Helen Chang (張花冠), Yunlin County Commissioner Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬) and Pingtung County Commissioner Tsao Chih-hung (曹啟鴻) demanded immediate allocation of a special flood prevention budget at a joint press conference in Greater Tainan yesterday, with DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) making the same request.

Greater Tainan residents protest against DPP’s Lai

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Greater Tainan residents affected by a project to move a railway underground staged a protest outside Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters in Taipei yesterday, demanding that DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) intervene in the controversy involving Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德).

The protesters said that Su’s responsibility was inescapable since he was familiar with the project as a former premier and because Lai is a party member.

Former mayor declares bid as DPP primaries heat up

LOCAL ELECTIONS:While the DPP is having difficulty drawing up a list of candidates in the north, the tight competition in the south is also a problem, a source said
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Former Keelung mayor Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) yesterday became the latest Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member to join the party’s primary in southern Taiwan, heating up the competition for posts in the party’s traditional stronghold.

Lee officially announced his intention to run for Yunlin County commissioner in the seven-in-one elections next year — one day after Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) confirmed that he would seek re-election.

Taipei issues food safety labels after inspections

STARCH SCARE:A Tainan noodle manufacturer said he did not know why his wares were removed from Singapore store shelves, saying they did not contain the tainted starch
By Mo Yan-chih and Chris Wang  /  Staff reporters

Taipei City’s Department of Health yesterday began issuing government-issued safety labels to vendors in food courts who passed inspections to make it easier for consumers to identify vendors whose food and beverages are free of maleic anhydride-modified industrial starch.

The heart-shaped labels are posted on top of the certifications as a double confirmation of the safety of food in the stores.

Department commissioner Lin Chi-hung (林奇宏) said city inspectors would affix the labels on the certifications during the inspections, and the move aimed to save consumers the trouble of reading the complicated certification, which should read “N.D.” (not detected) on the presence of maleic industrial starch in the food item.

Tainan is named best city in poll

GREEN SLANT:Areas headed by DPP politicians fared better than those run by the KMT, with five in the top eight, while Keelung finished last, in 22nd place, with 41.8 points
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Greater Tainan was voted the best city in the nation for the second straight year in an annual survey released yesterday rating the Taiwanese sense of well-being, and the performance of local governments and leaders.

Greater Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) once again had the highest approval rating among 22 mayors and county commissioners, the poll by Journalist magazine showed.

‘Tasteless’ ad highlights north-south divide: DPP

SPOTLIGHT:DPP lawmakers seized the chance given by a controversial Taipei government ad to call attention to bills they say would make government funding fairer
By Chris Wang and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter and Staff writer, with CNA

An “arrogant and tasteless” newspaper advertisement put out by the Taipei City Government was a bullying message to other cities and explained why a law regulating local revenues should be on the top of the legislative agenda, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers said yesterday.

The main advertisement message of “Sorry, we’re just that attractive” was “no different than bullying,” DPP Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) said about the advertisement highlighting Taipei’s rich social welfare resources over those of the other four special municipalities of Greater Kaohsiung, New Taipei City (新北市), Greater Taichung and Greater Tainan.

Lee declines invitation to Ma’s inauguration

NO SHOW:The 89-year-old former president said he would rather offer his experience than resort to ‘extreme’ measures to embarrass Ma Ying-jeou
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter, in Chiayi City

Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) said yesterday he had declined an invitation to attend President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) inauguration ceremony on Sunday as “a form of silent protest” about Ma’s policies.

Speaking at a press conference in Greater Tainan, the 89-year-old said he was aware that a series of massive protests would coincide with the ceremony and added that people have the right to voice their opinion.

However, as a former president, he said he would rather offer his experience to Ma than resort to “extreme ways” to embarrass the incumbent president.

Lee Teng-hui visits Chiayi, Tainan

‘VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION’:The former president said that if the government did not grant subsidies, farmers should take to the streets — and he would join them
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter, in Greater Tainan

Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) yesterday began a three-day trip to agricultural areas in Chiayi and Tainan in the hope of understanding more about the sector, which used to be Taiwan’s pride, but has been facing numerous challenges in recent years.

This was the 89-year-old’s second trip to southern Taiwan, after a visit to Greater Kaohsiung and Pingtung County last month. He has been recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in November last year.

Lawmakers argue over little league

KNOWING THE RULES:A baseball team from New Taipei City were disqualified from a tournament as two players failed to bring ID, but only after they were allowed to play
By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

The controversial disqualification of a junior baseball team from a tournament has prompted protests in Greater Tainan and New Taipei City (新北市) and is now pitting two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers against one another.

The New Taipei City team was disqualified from the Hsieh Guo-cheng Cup junior baseball tournament for boys aged 11 and 12 on May 1 because two of their players forgot to bring their ID card as required, but were nevertheless allowed to stay in the tourney, and went on to defeat Greater Tainan two games in a row on Thursday and Friday to win the competition.

Lee Teng-hui set to embark on second trip to south Taiwan

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) will embark on a second trip to southern Taiwan from May 16 to May 18 after a similar visit last week, an aide of the former president said.

Lee, 89, is scheduled to visit Chiayi County and Greater Tainan in his second trip to local communities after recovering from cancer surgery in November last year, according to Wang Yan-chun (王燕軍), director of Lee’s office.

DPP calls COA bird flu report ‘ridiculous’

By Chris Wang  /  Staff reporter

A report on an internal investigation by the Council of Agriculture (COA) into an alleged cover-up an avian flu outbreak was described as “ridiculous” and “responsibility-shirking” by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday.

The report, released on Monday, concluded that there was no concealment by the council of the highly pathogenic H5N2 avian flu outbreak.

The report looked into five avian influenza outbreaks from 2008 until this year, including an outbreak in Sinshih (新市) in the then-Tainan county in March 2009, the outbreak in Fangyuan (芳苑), Changhua County, in late December last year and the outbreak in Liujia (六甲) in Greater Tainan, last month.

DPP officials to discuss alternatives to beef plan

By Chris Wang  /  Staff Reporter

Mayors and county commissioners of six Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-governed cities and counties are to announce countermeasures to the central government’s planned move to lift a ban on ractopamine, the party said yesterday.

The officials are scheduled to exchange opinions at a meeting and release a joint statement on Monday in Greater Kaohsiung, DPP spokesperson Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) told a press conference yesterday.

The DPP has reiterated its opposition to the government’s planned lifting of a ban on ractopamine and has said that it would “stand on the same side as Taiwanese.”