The KMT legislative caucus yesterday recommended that the party expel 10 legislators who voted for nominees for top government positions on Thursday and Friday in defiance of the caucus' order to boycott the ballots.
KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰), who yesterday returned from a two-week trip to the US, promised that the party would deal with the rebels as soon as possible, saying it was regrettable that some "unqualified people" won confirmation for their appointments.
On Thursday, a nominee for grand justice won confirmation even though the KMT's caucus ordered its members not to vote. Four nominees for positions in the Control Yuan and another grand justice nominee were voted down.
On Friday, the legislature confirmed the appointment of former DPP chairman Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文) as Examination Yuan president and 19 others as Examination Yuan members.
The KMT caucus had ordered its members to boycott the vote for Yao and eight of the other nominees. The nominee for vice president of the Examination Yuan was voted down.
"We will examine the disobedient conduct of these legislators and deal with them as soon as possible according to the rules and discipline of the party," Lien said.
According to the list submitted by the KMT caucus, those subject to expulsion include Lu Shin-ming (呂新民), Lin Pin-kuan (林炳坤), Chen Chin-ting (陳進丁), Yang Wen-hsin (楊文欣), Lin Chin-chun (林進春), Lin Nan-sheng (林南生), Tseng Hua-te (曾華德), Yang Jen-fu (楊仁福), Liao Kuo-tung (廖國棟) and Chen Ken-te (陳根德).
Caucus whip Lin Yi-shih (林益世) explained that the expulsion was recommended in accordance with a decision reached by the caucus before the ballots, namely that "anyone who casts their votes will be expelled."
Still, it is uncertain whether the lawmakers will be expelled, as the caucus also suggested that the party take into account the severity of their violations when handing down punishments, Lin said.
For example, Tseng, Yang, Liao and Chen Ken-te, who voted for grand justices and Control Yuan members on Thursday, heeded the party's advice and did not go to Friday's ballot for Examination Yuan president, Lin said.
Chen Kang-chin (陳庚金), director-general of the Evaluation and Discipline Committee, said his committee will decide today when to meet to discipline the legislators.
Chen said the committee will handle these latest cases of disobedience together with others that occurred previously in the just-ended legislative session.
The KMT has threatened disciplinary action on five occasions in the session.
In addition to the three ballots taking place on Thursday and Friday, these include the Feb. 1 elections for Legislative Yuan speaker and vice speaker and the Feb. 19 ballot on overturning the KMT-proposed amendments to the Law Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法).
KMT Secretary-general Lin Fong-cheng (
Lin reiterated that the the party was more concerned about unity that it was about the number of legislators.
The KMT holds 68 seats in the legislature and is able to control a slim majority in the 224-seat chamber by allying with the PFP, which has 46 seats.
Lin said the ballots had allowed the KMT to identify who was vulnerable to the DPP's "temptation" and who was not.
The KMT and PFP have accused the DPP of buying votes from opposition legislators for between NT$5 million and NT$10 million each and promising them budgets for development projects in their constituencies in exchange for their support.
The DPP has denied those allegations.
* Lu Shin-ming (呂新民)
* Lin Pin-kuan (林炳坤)
* Chen Chin-ting (陳進丁)
* Yang Wen-hsin (楊文欣)
* Lin Chin-chun (林進春)
* Lin Nan-sheng (林南生)
* Tseng Hua-te (曾華德)
* Yang Jen-fu (楊仁福)
* Liao Kuo-tung (廖國棟)
* Chen Ken-te (陳根德)
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS