Recall vote for Keelung mayor slated for Oct. 13

Recall vote for Keelung mayor slated for Oct. 13

2024-08-16

Earlier this year a civic group in the city of Keelung started a petition to recall Mayor George Hsieh. The petition has collected enough signatures, and now a date has been set for the recall vote: Oct. 13. Unlike previous recalls, which mostly took place on Saturday, this time around the day chosen is a Sunday. That’s because Oct. 12 is the Double Ninth Festival, which election officials say could have a negative impact on voter turnout. But Hsieh is not happy about the decision, alleging that he is being treated unfairly. Let’s hear from him.

George Hsieh
Keelung mayor
It seems that previously, recall votes always took place on Saturday. This recall and any recalls that may happen next year are all being used as a means to have a repeat election. This trend must not be allowed to continue, and I hope that Taiwan will stop with this trend of malicious recalls.

Lin Yin-yin
Recall convener
I hope the KMT will refrain from using untrue political rhetoric to lead the people astray. Your opponent is the citizens of Keelung, not the DPP. I look forward to having a fair, impartial and transparent face-off against George Hsieh.

According to the Public Officials Election and Recall Act, for the recall to succeed, the number of votes in favor must be higher than the number of votes against. In addition, at least a quarter of the electorate must vote in favor. That means that this time round, 76,979 “yes” votes will be necessary for the vote to succeed.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

基隆市長謝國樑罷免案成立中選會:投票日訂在10/13

2024-08-16

對基隆市長謝國樑施政不滿，公民團體發起罷免活動，確定連署衝破門檻，中選會週五宣布謝國樑罷免案成立，定於10月13日，上午8時至下午4時投票。相較於之前選舉大多定在星期六，李進勇解釋因為前一天是重陽節，擔心假期影響投票人數，最後訂在週日，不過謝國樑依舊不滿，認為針對性十足。

[[基隆市長謝國樑]]
“過去的理解，投票好像都是在禮拜六，不管從現在還是到明年，罷免都被拿來做為重選的工具，那我覺得此風不可長，我也希望台灣不要有，這樣惡質的這種罷免風潮”

[[拆樑行動發言人林茵茵]]
“希望國民黨不要再以，非事實的政治語言蠱惑市民朋友，你們的對手是基隆市民不是民進黨，期待可以跟謝國樑，來一場公平公正公開的對決”

按照公職人員選罷法，罷免案要通過，有效同意票數，得多過不同意票數，且達選舉人數4分之1以上，換算下來，同意票數得衝破7萬6979張，最後結果如何，就交由基隆市民決定。

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Now that Taiwanese athletes have returned home from the Paris Olympics with two golds and five bronzes, Friday was the perfect time to kick back and party. The Presidential Office and the General Association of Chinese Culture worked together to put on a party and a parade for the heroes of Team Taiwan. One of the attendees was President Lai Ching-te, who was decked out in a track suit as he presented gifts and kind words to Taiwan’s finest athletes.

The Honor Guard stood at the entrance of the Presidential Office, creating a saber arch for Taiwan’s Olympic heroes. Wearing a track suit, head of state turned sports fan President Lai Ching-te received the national team athletes. In addition to gifting them Taiwanese-themed souvenirs and taking the time to chat, Lai also said yes to every photo request.

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Hailed as the Taiwanese boxing queen, Lin Yu-ting took on both constant criticism and unrelenting opponents on her difficult road to victory in Paris.

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Lai Ching-te
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Not only was your performance in the ring remarkable, but outside of the ring. Despite everything, you turned the other cheek and helped touch up your opponent’s jacket. You’re truly committed to excellence at all times.

Lai heaped praise upon Lin Yu-ting for embodying the high-minded grace of the Taiwanese people. His kind words had Lin on the verge of tears.

During the afternoon parade, confetti was seemingly raining down from the sky and the procession was parting the sea of roadside fans waving flags. Taipei’s Guanqian Road could’ve been mistaken for a street carnival.

With Lin Yu-ting at the front, the procession headed out from the Presidential Office. A total of 67 athletes, coaches, and support staff members took part in the parade.

The excitement of being able to see the Olympians in the flesh was written on the faces of the crowd. Video footage taken from a bird’s eye view showed just how grand the event was. The parade and the fair weather provided the perfect ending to this year’s Olympics.

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Democratic VP nominee Tim Walz’s China ties

U.S. Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz’s ties to China will likely inform his work if elected. But where does he stand on key issues? And how does Beijing see him? VOA’s Anita Powell reports.

Tim Walz spent a year teaching in China in 1989 and later organized student trips, and says he visited the country more than 30 times over the years. Republicans say Walz’s long ties to China mean Beijing will welcome him joining the Harris ticket and predict he will loosen hard-line U.S. economic and trade policies.

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Rep. Tim Walz
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And it was very powerful, and I’m certainly honored to have been there and to see the spirit of the Chinese people about trying to be very proud of their country.

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Kaiser Kuo
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He’s been very forthright in his criticisms of China’s human rights record, and I think he’s done that from a position that is maybe more credible because of his conspicuous earnestness and his sincerity.

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Anita Powell, VOA News, Washington.

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This theater audio system first launched at this May’s Munich High End Audio Show, dazzling global audio enthusiasts. Now it’s made its Asia debut at 34th TAA International Hi-End Audio Exhibition in Taiwan.

Hu Wei-ming
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The side of the boat is decorated with the beloved Japanese anime character Conan. Other characters from the series are also lining up. During the opening ceremony, one rider with Conan-themed hand fans had a smile on his face as he took a picture with the ferry.

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The boat has a lot of characters in the Conan series. I’ve been watching the show since I was a child, so I’m really excited to be here.

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Hsieh Chin-chi
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All the different colors make it more light and lively. I think it’s a fashionable temple, fashionable colors. In the future, apart from visitors coming here to pray to the Three Great Emperor-Officials and all the many gods, we can also bring in more cultural tour guides.

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