Category: Government

Yilan County Magistrate Lin Zi-miao (林姿妙) of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) was reelected after defeating main rival Chiang Tsung-yuan (江聰淵) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the race to head the county on Saturday.

Lin declared victory at around 8 p.m., after Chiang conceded defeat.

Lin finished with 119,421 votes, or 50.76 percent of the total, with Chiang receiving 96,779 votes, or 41.31 percent, according to figures from the Central Election Commission (CEC).

Chen Wan-hui (陳琬惠) of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), meanwhile, garnered 16,412 votes, or 6.98 percent.

Lin was reelected despite being dogged by corruption charges for her alleged role in a series of questionable land tax exemptions and land deals. Her first court hearing took place on Oct. 31, during which she continued to claim her innocence.

The 70-year-old Lin, who was first elected in 2018 amid a groundswell of anti-DPP sentiment around Taiwan, has said the charges were politically motivated, and her victory may indicate that voters either agreed or did not care.

Lin thanked several KMT party members for standing up and supporting her on the campaign trail.

In her first four years in office, the incumbent magistrate proved popular with female voters, as she focused heavily on policies related to education, such as providing free school meals for local children.

Prior to leading Taiwan’s northeastern county, Lin headed Yilan’s Luodong Township and before that served as a local councilor from 1998 to 2010.

 

 

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

Hou Yu-ih (侯友宜) of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) has comfortably defeated Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) challenger Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) to win a second term as mayor of New Taipei on Saturday.

Hou declared victory at around 8:25 p.m., after Lin conceded defeat.

He vowed to lead New Taipei on a path to “health, hope and happiness” and said he hoped to see less “needless feuding” on the political scene.

Hou also promised to help improve the lives of the 10 million residents in northern Taiwan, not just those in New Taipei.

As New Taipei occupies a crucial geological position in northern Taiwan, it should take the lead in improving the quality of life in that part of the country, he said.

Hou finished with 1,152,555 votes, or 62.42 percent of the total, with Lin receiving 693,976 votes, or 37.58 percent, according to figures from the Central Election Commission (CEC).

A former head of the National Police Agency (NPA), Hou, 65, served as New Taipei deputy mayor for eight years before being elected mayor in 2018, when he defeated DPP rival and current Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) by a 57-43 percent margin.

Since taking office, Hou has sought to build a brand as an effective manager while steering clear of some of Taiwan’s more fraught political issues, an approach that has helped him generate buzz as a possible 2024 presidential candidate.

Lin, 58, served one term as mayor of Taichung before losing his reelection bid in 2018, and later became transportation and communications minister until his resignation in 2021 following a train derailment in Hualien in which 49 people died.

Lin initially sought his party’s backing in the Taipei mayor’s race, but ultimately accepted its nomination in a more uphill battle in New Taipei, where he ran an energetic campaign despite routinely trailing by double digits in public opinion polls.

Local media have speculated that if Lin lost the election, he could return to the Cabinet, possibly even as premier or deputy premier, as happened with Su and Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) after their election losses in 2018.

Both Lin and the Cabinet have dismissed these reports as rumors, however.

With his reelection, Hou will extend the KMT’s control over New Taipei, which with nearly 4 million residents is Taiwan’s most populous city, and which the party has held since 2005.

The victory of Hou can be mainly attributed to his “down-to-earth style approach” to explaining policy and listening to the concerns of constituents during his first term, which has made him a mayor “with a strong affinity,” said Huang Chih-hsiung (黃志雄), the head of the KMT’s New Taipei chapter.

Huang said the election result was a reflection of the close connections Hou has built with local ward chiefs and community leaders over the past four years through hundreds of symposiums where he would sit down with them to discuss how to better address their concerns.

Despite polls showing a solid lead for Hou over Lin, Hou’s campaign team was never complacent about his victory and instead exhausted all possible organizational channels to drum up voter turnout, he said.

Hou has been billed as the KMT’s best chance to defeat the DPP in the 2024 presidential race, but he has been very coy on the subject.

“I am the New Taipei mayor running for reelection” was all he said to reporters when he was asked about his interest in 2024, but as the 2024 election is just 14 months away, he will soon have to answer the question.

According to the Central Election Commission, Hou was elected with over 1.16 million votes in the previous race in 2018, ahead of Su by about 290,000 votes, both new records in the city with an electorate of 3.3 million.

On the eve of the elections, Lin told local media that his team had fought a successful campaign to challenge Hou to the point that he had to focus on his reelection bid and had no leeway to campaign for KMT candidates in other cities or counties across the country.

Lin said that because of his campaign, the “spillover effect” of Hou’s popularity among other KMT candidates had been reduced and Hou had not been able to create a nationwide mania for himself.

 

 

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Kao Hung-an (高虹安) posted on social media Friday a letter from the University of Cincinnati confirming that there was no misconduct in her doctoral thesis, which a semi-official research organization had claimed was missing citations of copyrighted materials published by it.

The Hsinchu City mayoral hopeful has faced accusations of academic misconduct from the partially government-funded Institute for Information Industry (III) and some Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members, who said that she had cited research papers she coauthored while working for the III without crediting the institute.

Kao wrote in the post that she had requested that the American university review her doctoral thesis and received a reply recently.

“The University of Cincinnati has reviewed Dr. Hung-An Kao’s Ph.D dissertation which was submitted in 2018,” the reply read.

“The appropriate officials have reviewed and determined that no research, academic, or copyright misconduct has occurred in the submission of this dissertation,” it read.

“While university standards and practices are consistently updated to best meet our academic standards, the University of Cincinnati does not and has not considered self-plagiarism of one’s own work a form of misconduct,” the reply concluded.

The letter was signed by John Walter Weidner, dean of the university’s College of Engineering and Applied Science, where Kao was enrolled.

However, the letter was dated Oct. 20, predating a criminal lawsuit the III filed against Kao on Oct. 25 over potential copyright infringements.

The III filed the suit even though earlier that month, Kao had publicly shown her doctoral thesis, which included an “acknowledgements” section in which she mentioned three of her colleagues at the III and that the paper was part of a research project funded by the institute.

The move was an about-face by the III, which said in a statement on Sept. 20 when a magazine report first surfaced about Kao’s alleged “plagiarism” that the use of research it funded only needed authorization if it was intended for “practical applications” but not for academic use.

Kao said that she felt bad that her alma mater had been harassed because she was campaigning for Hsinchu City mayor.

She called on voters to disregard the mudslinging against her and make the right decision when the polls open on Saturday by electing the candidate that would “glorify” Hsinchu City.

Meanwhile, the III said on Friday that it had informed the University of Cincinnati on Oct. 25 of Kao’s alleged infringement of its copyrights and that it had taken legal action against Kao, but had not received a reply.

The III further said that it did not condone any breaches of regulations that could undermine the significance of scientific research or hamper scientific developments for personal gains.

Regarding its accusations that Kao had breached internal rules to hold a side job at Taipei-based technology company Servtech while working at the III, the institute said that it had on Nov. 3 requested that the Taipei City Department of Labor arbitrate in this matter.

However, the department turned down the request for arbitration on Nov. 9, saying that it only handled cases in which arbitration would bring about a more stable employer-worker relationship, whereas the III’s request was made to protect its own rights and interests.

 

 

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

The Taipei High Administrative Court on Friday rejected a motion filed by a COVID-19 patient who requested that special arrangements be made for him to vote in the upcoming local government elections.

The patient, a man surnamed Lu (呂), was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 on Nov. 21 and was notified by the Hsinchu City Public Health Bureau to isolate himself until midnight Saturday, the day of the elections.

Lu asked the court to order election authorities to extend the voting hours to noon Sunday so he can vote.

The court said in its decision Friday that Lu’s claim was baseless under the Administrative Litigation Act, arguing that the Central Election Commission’s decision to schedule and hold elections did not constitute a legal relation with voters that could be challenged under the law.

Moreover, allowing voters to cast ballots beyond the voting hours set by the election commission would affect the release of the results, which would be not in the best interest of the general public, the court argued.

According to Deputy Health Minister Victor Wang (王必勝), who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center, around 65,000 voters are isolated because of COVID-19 and will not be able to vote on Saturday.

The court’s decision can be appealed.

 

 

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

For first-time voter Hsu (徐, a pseudonym), a Hong Konger who immigrated to Taiwan and is now a citizen, being able to cast a meaningful ballot in the country’s local government elections on Saturday is worth cherishing.

A societal decision-making process is never easy, at least for Hong Kongers, said Hsu, who expressed admiration for Taiwan’s democracy.

“People who have not bled before do not know the feeling of pain, and neither do they know that democracy requires shedding blood and pain,” said the former Hong Kong resident, who was born in the 1990s, to CNA.

Having seen a pro-democracy candidate she voted for in a Hong Kong District Council election get “disqualified” by the authorities after winning the election, Hsu said the universal suffrage promised by the 1997 Basic Law for Hong Kong as a special administrative region (SAR) of China exists in name only.

Although the law allows for both Chief Executive and Legislative Council elections in Hong Kong, hopes for a free vote have been almost extinguished as China, led by Xi Jinping (習近平), has incrementally turned governance in the city almost into a closed shop open only to Beijing-approved candidates.

Commenting on the upcoming Taiwan elections on Saturday, which will see voters elect 11,023 local government officials — including mayors, magistrates, and city councilors — Hsu said she paid the greatest attention to candidates’ cross-Taiwan Strait policies, followed by their personal qualities.

Hsu’s feelings are shared by Chui Pak Tai (徐百弟), a former councilor for Hong Kong’s Wong Tai Sin District living in Taiwan.

The former Hong Kong Democratic Party member, who just obtained his Republic of China (Taiwan’s official name) citizenship last year, said he felt both happy to be able to vote in Taiwan and sad about Hong Kong’s situation.

Born in the 1950s, Chui said elected public representatives in Hong Kong have very limited power, adding that it is also why voter turnout has been lower than in Taiwan.

Regarding Taiwan’s local election, Chui said he cared the most about candidates’ positions on Hong Kong due to its proximity to Taiwan.

For Hong Kongers who have been living in Taiwan for a relatively longer period of time and are able to vote here, local elections have become a significant part of their “Taiwan experiences.”

An interviewee surnamed Lee (李, a pseudonym) shared with CNA her past voting experiences and observations about major political events that have shaped the country’s political scene.

The significant events included the transfer of power between the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Kuomintang (KMT), and the 2014 Sunflower Student Movement which started as a protest over a pending trade-in-services agreement with China, Lee said.

Calling herself a “floating voter,” the Hong Konger, who has lived in Taiwan for over 20 years, said she had learned to pick the right candidate instead of leaning towards any particular party.

“I have little hope that the election system in Hong Kong can be improved, but I am happy that I can somehow take part in (democracy) through voting in Taiwan,” said Lee, who was born in the 1970s.

For another Hong Konger surnamed Luo (羅, a pseudonym), who moved to Taiwan when she was young, it has been a learning process after voting several times.

Luo said she had learned how to evaluate candidates objectively, underscoring the necessity of having comprehensive knowledge about their policies and personal qualities.

Luo said she hoped Taiwan could continue to enjoy democratic elections in the future, although she said that people also needed to break the stereotypes associated with the DPP and KMT.

 

 

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

A 25-year old man who was arrested on Wednesday for assaulting New Party Taipei City Council candidate Lin Chieh-li (林婕麗) has been released on NT$50,000 (US$1,613.66) bail, according to prosecutors.

Lin was campaigning outside Zhongshan precinct’s Dazhi police station on Wednesday morning when she was violently assaulted by the man surnamed Chang (張).

A press release from the New Party revealed that Lin sustained a concussion, cranial hemorrhaging and a fracture to her right scapula, causing immobility in her arm.

While Lin was rushed to Mackay Memorial Hospital for treatment, Chang was arrested at the scene by police.

The assailant claimed he attacked Lin because he was in a foul mood after drinking alcohol and arguing with his ex girlfriend on Tuesday evening, police said.

He was further irritated by the noise from Lin’s campaigning, which Chang claimed prompted the attack, police added.

Chang was transferred to the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office Wednesday afternoon for further questioning, where he was released on bail that same night, for crimes including the violation of the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act.

In response to the incident, Minister of Justice Tsai Ching-hsiang (蔡清祥) said the authorities will do their best to prevent violence during the elections and investigate any and all related crimes.

 

 

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

Like many of his colleagues in the Hong Kong press, A-Chieh [a pseudonym] left the city after Beijing’s National Security Law made reporting freely a potentially illegal act for journalists.

The 1997 Basic Law had promised Hong Kong universal suffrage for both Chief Executive and Legislative Council elections. But hopes for a free and fair vote have been almost extinguished as China, led by Xi Jinping (習近平), incrementally turned governance in the city into a closed shop open only to Beijing-approved candidates.

“We used to think the police would never shoot tear gas or open fire on us [during pro-democracy protests]. We used to think there would always be a chance to vote,” said A-Chieh, who now resides temporarily in Taiwan as a freelance journalist.

The same has been true for Hong Kong’s press. Fearing prosecution under the National Security Law, which was introduced in 2020, nearly all independent media in the city has opted to shutter or hand over ownership to pro-government owners.

A-Chieh now finds himself amid a much different political scene. Campaigning is in full swing for Taiwan’s “nine-in-one” elections on Nov. 26, which will see voters choose 11,023 local government officials, including mayors, magistrates, and city councilors.

Drawing on the experience of Hong Kong, A-Chieh warns that complacency could jeopardize Taiwan’s democracy. “[The voters] are not as involved in elections as before,” A-Chieh said, urging the people of Taiwan to “cherish each ballot cast as if it were their last.”

China has been able to dismantle a system that had promised Hong Kongers universal suffrage and press freedom in part due to public apathy and a too-late realization of the importance of voting, A-Chieh said.

“In the past, people in Hong Kong were not enthusiastic about elections, with voter turnout averaging as low as about 40 percent. It was not until 2019 that Hong Kong had a record 71 percent turnout — but it was too late. Beijing overhauled the electoral system in 2021, and it became meaningless to cast a ballot,” A-Chieh said.

Having witnessed Beijing erase political rights in Hong Kong, A-Chieh said people in Taiwan seemed to be “indifferent to the looming threat” posed by China.

“I feel like people don’t talk about Chinese threat much in this year’s elections and go about their day as usual,” he said. “[The voters] are not as involved in elections as before.”

Now packed with hardliners and Xi loyalists, the government in Beijing signaled it would take a tougher stance on Taiwan at the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th Party Congress in October.

In light of this, A-Chieh said there should be a serious discussion among election candidates and voters on how to deal with the escalating pressure.

The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) framing of the elections as a vote to “resist China, protect Taiwan” seemed to have failed to galvanize the public, he said.

In a separate interview with CNA on Nov. 17, a former Hong Kong journalist, who gave her name as Miss Huang, said there used to be extensive media coverage of Taiwan’s elections in Hong Kong in the past, but that was not the case this year.

Since the introduction of the National Security Law, media outlets in Hong Kong have “refrained from reporting political news about Taiwan ever since, let alone the elections,” said Huang, who moved to Taiwan several years ago.

This year’s vote contrasts starkly with Taiwan’s January 2020 presidential election, which Huang said drew large numbers of Hong Kong tourists keen to observe democracy in action.

However, Huang said she didn’t expect to see many Hong Kongers travel to Taiwan to witness the elections this year, as civil society groups and pro-democracy activists have seen their activities curtailed by the National Security Law.

Nevertheless, many people in Hong Kong will still be closely watching this year’s elections in Taiwan.

“I often got asked by my friends in Hong Kong about the elections. We wished people in Taiwan would cherish the right to vote,” Huang said.

 

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel

Nauru President Russ Joseph Kun has concluded his six-day trip to Taiwan, which Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) described as showcasing the strong bond in bilateral ties.

Kun, who was making his first diplomatic trip since taking office on Sept. 29, and his delegation left Taiwan on Saturday night and were seen off by Deputy Foreign Minister Tien Chung-kwang (田中光).

During his visit, Kun met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Nov. 15, and reaffirmed the diplomatic ties between Taiwan and Nauru three times at a military salute and a luncheon hosted by Tsai to welcome Kun.

He also acknowledged Taiwan’s efforts to build a resilient democracy and thanked Taiwan for its many bilateral programs in the Pacific island country.

MOFA said in a statement released Sunday that following the event with Tsai, Kun signed a joint declaration at the Taipei Guest House with Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) that pledged to expand bilateral ties.

During the subsequent banquet held by Wu in Kun’s honor, Kun recognized Taiwan’s assistance to Nauru during the COVID-19 pandemic and its provision of medical supplies and aid.

In the following days, Kun toured various parts of Taiwan that included a visit to a hospital in Taichung that is planning to send three doctors to Nauru to provide medical services there.

Kun’s delegation also paid a visit to the port of Taipei on Nov. 16 to see how Taiwan manages its ports.

Kun said Nauru has always wanted to build an advanced international port, and he hoped that Taiwan would help his country develop professionals to bring the goal to fruition.

On Nov. 18, the delegation visited the Coast Guard Administration under the Ocean Affairs Council, where they met with the council’s acting head Chou Mei-wu (周美伍).

Chou also participated in an exchange of letters ceremony with Nauru’s Superintendent of Police Iven Notte to officially initiate standard operating procedures for naval patrols by the two countries.

Members of Kun’s delegation also visited the Sports Administration and Chunghwa Telecom to get a better understanding of possible areas of cooperation between the two countries.

 

 

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel