Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

From left, Animal Protection Administration Oversight Committee convener Wang Wei-chi, Taiwan Alliance for Animal Rights Policy executive director Ho Tsung-hsun, Aletheia University associate professor of law Wu Ching-chin and Negative Vote Association president Sam Chang express concerns over proposed changes to the Referendum Act at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times

A coalition of civil groups yesterday expressed concern that the Central Election Commission’s proposed changes to the Referendum Act (公民投票法) could restrict people’s rights and result in “a step backward for democracy.”

Not long after Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔) took office as National Taiwan University (NTU) president, the Control Yuan on Tuesday decided to impeach him. This was just the latest development in a hugely controversial selection process for the top job in the nation’s most prestigious university.

The reason for impeaching Kuan was his undertaking to supply from 2010 to 2016 opinion pieces, published anonymously, to Chinese-language Next Magazine, for which he received NT$650,000 per year, on an understanding that he would be paid NT$50,000 per month, with an additional NT$25,000 every June and December.