David on Formosa

I had a letter about the need for election observers published in the Taipei Times today. While I hope the forthcoming election will be trouble free, I note in the letter that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supporters have engaged in violent protests following election losses in 2000 and 2004. The risk of violent protests destabilising the political [...]

A couple of months ago I wrote about the possible vice presidential candidates for both the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). I correctly predicted that Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) would be the candidate for the KMT. However, the DPP is yet to select their candidate and there are a number of [...]

Last night I attended a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) campaign rally in Taichung. The rally for legislative candidate Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was held in a primary school hall in the West District of Taichung. As people entered the gates there were tables for collecting donations and registering support for the [...]

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has written to Premier Wu Den-yih expressing concern about Chunghwa Telecom’s decision to stop relaying signals from New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV). Chunghwa Telecom advised NTDTV in April that they would not renew the contract to relay NTDTV’s signal.  NTDTV uses a Chunghwa Telecom satellite to broadcast Mandarin-language programming into Taiwan [...]

We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. – Elie Wiesel Taiwan’s courts have handed down not guilty verdicts in two notable cases this week. Former president Chen Shui-bian was found not guilty in the Supreme Court in the special diplomatic funds case. The verdict [...]

Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is set to be confirmed as the DPP’s presidential candidate in 2012. Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will be the KMT’s candidate. Both parties are yet to select their vice presidential candidates. I have listed the likely contenders from both parties below with some brief analysis. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) – [...]