Consider US, Japan absentee voting solutions: TPPLOCAL ELECTIONS: Japan created exclusive voting stations for COVID-19 cases, and South Korea allotted special voting hours for their polls, the TPP caucus saidBy Huang Ching-hsuan and Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus yesterday urged the Central Election Committee (CEC) to consult voting regulations in the US, Japan and South Korea to create a way for people infected with COVID-19 to vote in local elections on Nov. 26. A proposed amendment to the Referendum Act (公民投票法) to allow absentee voting was submitted to the legislature more than two years ago, but the CEC did not propose its own version, he added. However, no effort was made to pass the amendment or establish the absentee voting system in time for the local elections, Chiu said. The CEC said in October last year that absentee voting would not be allowed in the referendum held in December last year, as “regulations and complementary measures were not in place,” Jang added. As a “technology island” and a democratic model in East Asia, Taiwan should prioritize implementing an absentee voting system, he said.

Bridge collapse in India kills more than 130 peopleAFP, MORBI, IndiaAt least 137 people died in western India when a colonial-era pedestrian bridge packed with revelers collapsed into the river below, police said yesterday. Rescue personnel conduct search operations after a bridge across the Machhu River collapsed in Morbi, India, yesterday. “I saw the bridge collapse before my eyes,” said one witness who worked all night on rescue efforts, without giving his name. Authorities launched a rescue operation following the collapse, with boats and divers searching the river all night and yesterday. “The thoughts and prayers of the government & people of Taiwan go out to those affected by the tragic bridge collapse in Gujarat.

Expect ill-fated ploys under Xi’s authorityBy HoonTing 雲程Predictions are always tricky, especially when they involve the actions of individuals. However, if there were a reshuffle of up to four members, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) would have a tighter grip on power than before, Chen said. Dictators are known to be arbitrary and volatile, and should not be expected to behave any other way. By the end of a fourth term, Xi would be an advanced age, but not older than many other dictators through history. If the original rule is overturned by force, the rule-breaker has to watch out for potential threats.

Mask mandate to be lifted in phases: CECCPROTECTION: Daily cases have been declining, albeit at a slow pace, and could fall below 10,000 by December, which could lead to an easing of mask requirements The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday said that the mask mandate would be lifted in phases, as it predicted that daily case counts could fall below 10,000 by December. Case numbers have begun falling, but the pace of decline is slow, CECC head Victor Wang (王必勝) told a regular news conference. If the trend continues, daily cases could drop below 10,000 by December, he added. Minister of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan (薛瑞元) has said that once cases fall below that number, COVID-19 would be considered “like the flu.” Asked whether the CECC would downgrade or reclassify COVID-19 as a non-notifiable disease afterBy Yang Yuan-ting and William Hetherington

Number of SMEs at new high last year: ministryStaff writer, with CNAThe number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Taiwan hit a new high last year, up 3.03 percent to 1.596 million from a year earlier, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a white paper on Friday. SMEs are defined as companies with paid-in capital of no more than NT$100 million (US$3.1 million) or fewer than 200 regular employees. The companies accounted for 98.92 percent of Taiwan’s total 1.613 million enterprises last year, the ministry said. About 80 percent of SMEs were in the service sector, with 46.18 percent in the wholesale or retail businesses, the white paper said. The number of SMEs owned by women was 586,304, or 37.16 percent of the total, it said.

Oceans require political attentionBy Tommy Chung 鍾孟勳The marine ecosystem is looking over the abyss. However, to recover our ocean’s biodiversity, local governments are essential. Since last year, Greenpeace has advocated for the passage of an ocean conservation bill with 10 demands. More than 280 stores and thousands of people have also responded to its call for the ocean conservation bill. Local governments and candidates should highlight ocean conservation in their political agendas.

Sex workers fear the proposed crackdown will not end prostitution and could instead increase the dangers for people selling sex. At demonstrations, some held placards reading: “Sex work is work” and “Feminist whores,” while sex workers’ association Astras has threatened to name and shame politician clients in a bid to shoot down the new rules. In Greece and the Netherlands, sex work is legal and sex workers must apply for a license and follow rules on where and how they work. Earlier this year, Belgium decriminalized sex work, with a labor law that supporters said would let sex workers set their own terms, and could reduce exploitation and violence. For now, Spanish sex workers’ efforts are focused on securing amendments to the Socialists’ bill, including reversing the criminalization of buying sex and narrowing the definition of pimping to avoid landlords becoming liable.

EDITORIAL: Adjusting to post-pandemic lifeThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Monday removed the table dividers between its officials at its daily news conference — a symbolic gesture to encourage society to return to “normal” in the post-COVID-19 era — as it announced the easing next month of more COVID-19 restrictions. Although reporting daily caseloads could serve as a public reminder to take necessary precautions, many people have grown tired of the rigid format of the center’s data presentation. The center could address people’s concerns about the border reopening and easing of restrictions, as some might become anxious and be hesitant to stop preventive measures. The CECC should try new forms of public health messaging to make people feel safe returning to pre-pandemic activities, without questioning whether they are contravening rules or exposing themselves to increased risk of infection. The CECC, in collaboration with other ministries, can help people readjust to post-pandemic life with tips and advice on situations that are relatable to the public.

Constitutional Court paves way for Siraya recognitionBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterThe Siraya and other Pingpu groups have the right to be recognized as “indigenous,” the Constitutional Court ruled yesterday as it gave the government a three-year deadline to implement a law to facilitate their recognition. Photo: Liu Hsin-te, Taipei TimesThe ruling came after the Council of Indigenous Peoples has for three decades opposed the recognition of about 10 Pingpu groups, including the Siraya. “They must have the collective identity as an ethnic group,” as well as the required documents to file for recognition, Hsu added. The Council of Indigenous Peoples and indigenous lawmakers might try to impose restrictions that would leave the Siraya without a path to full recognition, she said. However, Uma Talavan said the ruling is also meaningful for other Pingpu groups, such as the Babuza, Hoanya, Kaxabu, Ketagalan, Lloa, Makatao, Pazeh, Papora, Taokas and Tavalong.

A MediaTek chip is pictured in an undated photograph. We expect the largest impact from customer adjustments to be in the fourth quarter,” MediaTek chief executive officer Risk Tsai (蔡力行) told a virtual investors’ conference yesterday. I would call it a severe downturn,” Tsai said. MediaTek yesterday posted the weakest quarterly net profits in about three quarters last quarter. MediaTek yesterday said it would stick to its goal of distributing an 80 to 85 percent payout ratio.

TPP’s Kao has turned into Han 2.0By Lin Han 林志翰At the beginning of 2019, then-Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) was caught on camera playing mahjong while on a holiday in Bali: Han claimed that the “state apparatus” has been monitoring him and his family. In August of the same year, Han claimed that a tracking device had been installed on his car, again pointing his finger at the “state apparatus,” yet failing to put forward any evidence of a tracking device. Kao accused the Democratic Progressive Party of deploying the “state apparatus” to consolidate its political power. Kao’s brazen reply has turned her into Han Kuo-yu 2.0. During weekends, she traveled around the US, with the additional perk of being able to receive reimbursements for her travel expenses.

Government plans meeting over online news revenueBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterThe government plans to arrange a meeting between international digital platforms and local news media outlets within a month to discuss the reasonable distribution of revenue for news content published on digital platforms, Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang (唐鳳) said yesterday. “Broadcast news media and print news media have different ways of calculating revenue generated through online news content. “When we meet, we will focus on how much digital platforms should pay to compensate for the revenue losses. Negotiations between news media and digital platforms, and drafting a bill should proceed simultaneously, she added. Dominant software operators such as Line should be asked to establish data centers in Taiwan, Lin said.

Jaw offers sugar-coated poisonBy Chang Kuo-tsai 張國財Broadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) has said that “voting for the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] means pushing the youth to the war front.”His remarks are questionable at best and deeply problematic. China is the only country in the world that is constantly barking at and threatening Taiwan. It is guaranteed that the only reason for Taiwanese to take up arms would be to stop China from invading Taiwan. One way of looking at this is that the DPP’s approach would lead to war, while the KMT’s would promote peace. They must realize that Jaw’s remark is sugar-coated poison.

2022 Elections: KMT commissioner accused of vote-buyingBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterDemocratic Progressive Party (DPP) Nantou County councilor candidate Tseng Tsung-kai (曾琮愷) on Tuesday filed a judicial complaint against Nantou County Commissioner Lin Ming-chen (林明溱) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) for allegedly trying to buy votes for a KMT candidate in the Nov. 26 local elections. He has been campaigning for KMT county commissioner candidate Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華). Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Nantou County commissioner candidate Hsu Shu-hua speaks at a campaign event in the county on Tuesday last week. The incident constitutes an abuse of government funds, as Lin has allegedly contravened election laws by promoting KMT candidates and handed out gifts to buy votes for the KMT, Tseng said. DPP Nantou County commissioner candidate Tsai Pei-hui (蔡培慧) said Lin Ming-chen has organized more than 100 such KMT campaign rallies disguised as his “farewell tour,” which began last month.

Institute sues TPP lawmaker over dissertationCOUNTERACCUSATION: The TPP’s Kao Hung-an said the Institute for Information Industry was aware that she was pursuing a degree at a university in the USStaff writer, with CNAThe government-funded Institute for Information Industry yesterday said that it has filed a criminal lawsuit against Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Kao Hung-an (高虹安) for allegedly improperly using copyrighted institute material in her doctoral dissertation. Institute for Information Industry president Cho Cheng-hung attends a meeting of the legislature’s Economics Committee in Taipei yesterday. The institute has accused Kao of using passages from copyrighted research reports that she coauthored when working at the institute in her doctoral dissertation at the University of Cincinnati without crediting the institute. The institute said its lawyer on Oct. 13 sent Kao a letter demanding that she explain her actions and offer solutions. Members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have accused Kao of plagiarism, copyright infringement and improper citation, but critics have dismissed their claims as politically motivated.