By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Hsu Chung-hsin (許忠信) yesterday raised concerns over the “pay as you go” freeway toll scheme, questioning the budget, toll rate and the authority’s ability to track unpaid tolls.
“The readiness of the program is highly questionable,” Hsu told a press conference after Minister of Transportation and Communications Yeh Kuang-shih (葉匡時) said on Monday that the scheme would be implemented on Dec. 30.
YES OR NO?Ko Wen-je and Su Tseng-chang held a 90-minute closed-door meeting yesterday to discuss the physician’s ideas and plans for the Taipei mayoral race
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), a physician who is mulling running in next year’s Taipei mayoral election, met with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday, but said he had not made up his mind about the joining the party.
However, he was reportedly leaning toward joining eventually.
“I believe that the decision will be made shortly after several issues have been worked out. However, I am glad that we had a pleasant discussion and established a direct channel communications,” Ko said after the 90-minute closed-door meeting at the DPP headquarters in Taipei yesterday morning.
Tue, Dec 17, 2013 - Page 8
“Taiwan Next,” the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) campaign slogan in last year’s presidential election, remains fresh in some people’s minds, but the real issue to pay attention to, in terms of domestic political development, is “DPP Next.” Specifically, what should happen to the party now.
The next presidential election is a little over two years away, but the DPP’s factionalism, which seems never to have gone away, has left supporters and observers scratching their heads, wondering what will happen to the party, which is desperate to regain power.
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday established an office in Guanxi Township (關西), Hsinchu County, as part of her effort to deepen her connection with the predominantly Hakka constituencies in northwestern Taiwan.
“The office was established with the aim of learning from the Hakka culture, exploring local people’s needs, as well as avoiding the so-called ‘Taipei perspective’ so we can consolidate the power of the Hakka people and bolster Taiwan’s future,” Tsai, a Hakka, said in the opening ceremony, according to a press release issued by her Taipei office.
DIVERSITY:Containing interviews with important figures from the founding of the DPP, it shows the range of views around the one unifying goal of freedom and democracy
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
The founding members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have had different goals for both the future of the party and Taiwan from the day the DPP was established — Sept. 28, 1986. This was the reflection of several founding members in a book documenting the party’s establishment and at a ceremony to launch the book yesterday.
The diversity of DPP members’ political ideology could be regarded as a natural phenomenon, considering the political atmosphere of the dangwai (黨外, “outside the party”) — period before the party was born, said Chen Yi-shen (陳儀深) Academia Sinica research fellow and chief editor of Oral History of the DPP, in which 15 politicians and political advocates are interviewed about the party’s establishment and early days.
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), an independent hopeful for the Taipei mayoralty, yesterday said he was still contemplating joining the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but hinted that his doing so could cost the DPP the election.
“Why would you want to lock a lion up in a cage when you know that it’s going to cost you the election?” Ko said, when asked about his relationship with the party in an interview with Newtalk, an online news site.
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Former Taipei EasyCard Corp chairman Sean Lien (連勝文) was the most qualified candidate for the Taipei mayoralty, while incumbent Greater Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) is expected to face a tough battle if he decides to seek re-election next year, a survey released yesterday showed.
Conducted by Taiwan Indicators Research Survey (TISR), respondents were asked who they saw as qualified among 11 hopefuls in Taipei and six in Greater Taichung, both seats considered symbolic, must-win constituencies for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday said he may meet with National Taiwan University physician Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) as early as next week to discuss Ko’s strained relationship with the party.
Ko, an independent who has been leading all pan-green camp aspirants in the DPP primary for Taipei mayor in public approval ratings, has been mulling whether to join the party.
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is mulling establishing a task force focused on studying Taiwan entering Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotations, a party official said yesterday.
If established, the task force may comprise party officials and think tank experts, and would conduct studies on negotiation strategy, policy recommendations and the holding of exchanges with foreign governments, as well as international academics, DPP Department of International Affairs director Liu Shih-chung (劉世忠) said.
‘NEXT’ STORY:：The report says the SID provided Ma Ying-jeou with details of Wang Jin-pyng’s schedule and meetings and a call between Ker Chien-ming and Rex How
By Chris Wang / Staff reporter
Thu, Dec 12, 2013 - Page 1
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday condemned the Special Investigation Division’s (SID) reported political surveillance of the party and several individuals, saying that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and officials in charge should be held accountable.
The latest edition of the Chinese-language weekly Next Magazine yesterday reported that the division carried out political surveillance of Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平), the DPP and a publisher who has voiced opposition to the cross-strait service trade agreement.