The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday said that it would request a constitutional interpretation by the Council of Grand Justices to safeguard the party’s interests, but vowed to honor its pledge to donate all party assets to charity, regardless of the results of the interpretation.
Accompanied by party cadres, KMT Vice Chairman Steve Chan (詹啟賢) yesterday morning held a news conference in Taipei regarding the KMT’s next moves following the passage by the legislature of the Act Governing the Handling of Ill-gotten Properties by Political Parties and Their Affiliate Organizations (政黨及其附隨組織不當取得財產處理條例) on Monday night.
“We will file for a constitutional interpretation and do everything in our power to meet the requirements for such an application, since it is, after all, a legal and constitutional process,” Chan said.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
Chan said that while a request for a constitutional interpretation is the KMT’s preferred option, the party does not rule out resorting to other legal and constitutional measures that conform to the principles of democracy and rule of law to defend its rights and interests, such as filing an administrative appeal.
However, as the act has already cleared the legislative floor, the KMT will approach it with an “ordinary state of mind” and follow all due procedures, including truthfully declaring the party’s assets, Chan said, adding that “there will be no tricks.”
Saying that the KMT’s assets are more of a political issue than a legal one, Chan said some parts of the act deserve reconsideration, but the party would nevertheless fulfill a pledge made by KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) on July 14.
“Hung promised at the time that, except for legally acquired office space and funds to cover personnel costs, she plans to donate everything,” Chan said.
“The reason for such a decision is that we feel our assets have been a cause of social and political division. We would forever be mired unless we get rid of this baggage,” he added.
Dismissing speculation that the constitutional interpretation request is an attempt by the KMT to preserve its assets, Chan said the party would still donate its assets, even if the interpretation is in its favor.
“We simply do not want to be stigmatized by people using illegitimate approaches and pretexts,” Chan said.
He added that the KMT would part ways with the past and face the public with a new appearance, mindset and style.
According to Paragraph 3, Article 5 of the Law of Interpretation Procedures For Grand Justices (司法院大法官審理案件法), lawmakers planning to file a request for a constitutional interpretation are required to gather the support of at least one-third of all 113 legislators.
That means that the KMT caucus, which only holds 35 seats in the Legislative Yuan, will have to team up with other parties to meet the statutory threshold.
In response to reporters’ questions on whether the party intends to ally itself with the People First Party, a spin-off of the KMT, on the matter, Chan did not respond directly, saying that he is well aware of the KMT’s predicaments and it would do its utmost to make the application possible.
“Success lies in our effort,” Chan said.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
At least 35 people were killed and dozens more injured when a man plowed his car into pedestrians exercising around a sports center in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai on Monday night. Footage showing bodies lying on the pavement appeared on social media in the hours after the crash, but had vanished by early Tuesday morning, and local police reported only “injuries.” It took officials nearly 24 hours to reveal that dozens had died — in one of the country’s deadliest incidents in years. China heavily monitors social media platforms, where it is common for words and topics deemed
Typhoon Usagi yesterday had weakened into a tropical storm, but a land warning issued by the Central Weather Administration (CWA) was still in effect in four areas in southern Taiwan. As of 5pm yesterday, Tropical Storm Usagi was over waters 120km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost tip of Taiwan proper, and was moving north at 9kph, CWA data showed. The storm was expected to veer northeast later yesterday. It had maximum sustained winds of 101kph, with gusts of up to 126kph, the data showed. The CWA urged residents of Kaohsiung, Pingtung County, Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春) to remain alert to
RSS