Taiwan's Zhonglian oil scandal fuels political turmoil

A food‑safety crisis involving carcinogenic oil produced by Zhonglian Oil has ignited political controversy across Taiwan. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan‑an called for a no‑confidence motion to oust Premier Tao Rong‑y, arguing the cabinet must answer for the toxic‑oil episode that sparked public protests on Taipei’s main boulevard. The Executive Yuan responded that any such motion is a legislative matter and emphasized the urgent need to complete the current year’s central government budget, which has been delayed for a record 333 days.

In Taichung, the city council erupted when Democratic Progressive Party members demanded Mayor Lu Hsiu‑yen apologize for the mishandling of the scandal and called for Health Bureau chief Zeng Zicheng’s resignation. The session descended into chaos, leading to a temporary recess and the approval of a special investigative committee to examine Zhonglian’s testing practices, product distribution and recall procedures.