The long-stalled arms procurement bill failed to pass the legislature's Procedure Committee for the 34th time yesterday. The pan-blue dominated Procedure Committee voted 18 to 14 to shelve the arms procurement bill as well as confirmation of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) nomination of Control Yuan members and 21 other bills proposed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus and its ally, the Taiwan Solidarity Union.
As there are many corruption cases awaiting investigation by the Control Yuan, DPP Legislator Cheng Yun-peng (
Yesterday marked the 16th time the committee has blocked the ratification of the president's list of nominees.
Cheng said that although he would personally support the idea of abolishing the Control Yuan, the government watchdog is required by law to perform its job before the Constitution is amended.
People First Party (PFP) Legislator Hwang Yih-jiau (黃義交) expressed his party's opposition to the confirmation of the president's selections of Control Yuan members, saying that his caucus would not accept nominees recommended by a selection committee made up of figures embroiled in controversy.
He also reiterated his caucus' strong opposition to the arms procurement plan, which he described as "unreasonable" and a plan that has been "hijacked by US arms dealers."
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
‘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
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday appealed to the authorities to release former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) from pretrial detention amid conflicting reports about his health. The TPP at a news conference on Thursday said that Ko should be released to a hospital for treatment, adding that he has blood in his urine and had spells of pain and nausea followed by vomiting over the past three months. Hsieh Yen-yau (謝炎堯), a retired professor of internal medicine and Ko’s former teacher, said that Ko’s symptoms aligned with gallstones, kidney inflammation and potentially dangerous heart conditions. Ko, charged with
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