The alleged illegality of the National Security Council (NSC) secretary-general sitting in on meetings of the National Police Agency (NPA) and Ministry of Justice’s Investigation Bureau suggests that the nation is in need of a new Republic of China constitution, civic organizations said yesterday.
NSC Secretary-General King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) came under fire from legislators across party lines when he visited the police agency on Wednesday and the Investigation Bureau on Friday.
While lawmakers said that King was overreaching his authority, the council in a statement issued on Sunday evening dismissed allegations that he had violated the Constitution, adding that King would continue making the visits.
The 15 civic groups, which took part in the student-led Sunflower movement occupying the Legislative Yuan in Taipei from March 18 to April 10 in protest against the government’s handling of the cross-strait service trade agreement, held a press conference in Taipei yesterday for the “Declaration of the New Constitution Movement.”
The declaration said the Sunflower movement highlighted many of the problems in the nation’s constitutional government system, adding that it showed how the government’s sovereign status was called into question and the principle of separation of powers were teetering on the brink of dysfunction.
Taiwan needs to “unfreeze” its Constitution and lower the threshold for constitutional amendments as one of the goals of constitutional government reforms, the declaration said.
The nation needs a new constitution, one in which the common will of Taiwanese is reflected to better implement human rights, realize social democracy, recognize the autonomy of Aborigines, realize “generational justice” by lowering the age requirement for voting and participation in politics and establish a healthy political party system, the groups said.
Despite its amendments, the Constitution cannot truly separate the democratic system from the influence of old institutionalized ways, and only through drafting a new constitution can Taiwanese cement the values of human rights and democracy and establish the nation as a healthy state in East Asia, the declaration said.
Democratic Front Against Cross-Strait Trade in Service Agreement (反黑箱服貿民主陣線) convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) said the Constitution has gone as far as it can, and the nation truly needs the movement.
Meanwhile, the groups called on political parties to face the constitutional crisis threatening the nation and asked for their support in the reforms.
“The government should not avoid our calls to hold a civil reformation of the constitutional system by calling for a national meeting on the economy, nor should it disregard the will and determination of society to push through political reforms,” the groups said.
The groups called on the public to support their efforts.
QUIET START: Nearly a week after applications opened, agencies did not announce or promote the program, nor did they explain how it differed from other visitor visas Taiwan has launched a six-month “digital nomad visitor visa” program for foreign nationals from its list of visa-exempt countries who meet financial eligibility criteria and provide proof of work contracts. To apply, foreign nationals must either provide proof that they have obtained a digital nomad visa issued by another country or demonstrate earnings based on age brackets, the Bureau of Consular Affairs said. Applicants aged 20 to 29 must show they earned an annual salary of at least US$20,000 or its equivalent in one of the past two years, while those aged 30 or older must provide proof they earned US$40,000 in
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS: The suspects formed spy networks and paramilitary groups to kill government officials during a possible Chinese invasion, prosecutors said Prosecutors have indicted seven retired military officers, members of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, for allegedly obtaining funds from China, and forming paramilitary groups and assassination squads in Taiwan to collaborate with Chinese troops in a possible war. The suspects contravened the National Security Act (國家安全法) by taking photos and drawing maps of key radar stations, missile installations and the American Institute in Taiwan’s headquarters in Taipei, prosecutors said. They allegedly prepared to collaborate with China during a possible invasion of Taiwan, prosecutors said. Retired military officer Chu Hung-i (屈宏義), 62, a Republic of China Army Academy graduate, went to China
AIR DEFENSE: The Norwegian missile system has proved highly effective in Ukraine in its war against Russia, and the US has recommended it for Taiwan, an expert said The Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) Taiwan ordered from the US would be installed in strategically important positions in Taipei and New Taipei City to guard the region, the Ministry of National Defense said in statement yesterday. The air defense system would be deployed in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) and New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水), the ministry said, adding that the systems could be delivered as soon as the end of this year. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has previously said that three NASAMS would be sold to Taiwan. The weapons are part of the 17th US arms sale to
UNITY MESSAGE: Rather than focusing on what Trump said on the campaign trail about Taiwan, Taipei should be willing to engage with the US, Pompeo said Taiwan plays a key role in Washington’s model of deterrence against China, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a speech in Taipei yesterday. During US president-elect Donald Trump’s first term, “we had developed what we believe was a pretty effective model of deterrence against adversaries who wanted to undermine the set of rules and values that the people of Taiwan and the people of the US hold dear,” Pompeo said at a forum organized by the Formosa Republican Association. “Succeeding in continuing to build this model will not solely rest at the feet of president Trump and his team,
RSS