The legislature will today vote on a Cabinet request to overturn part of the recently passed amendments to the Farmers' Association Law (農會法) and the Fishermen's Association Law (漁會法), amendments which the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has said could pave the way for a return to "black gold" politics.
As Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (
"The request was proposed to defend the interests of farmers and fishermen," Chang said in response to questions from pan-blue lawmakers.
PHOTO: CHU PEI-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The amendments cancel the three-term limit on the associations' secretaries-general and lower the requirements of employment renewal.
The amendments also stipulate that association staffers standing trial are not to be relieved of their jobs until a final verdict has been delivered, a departure from initial regulations which dictate that employees convicted in the second stage of a trial be dismissed.
The Executive Yuan considers this part of the amendments to be a move "against people's expectations" for the eradication of black gold politics, which is why it called on the legislature to reconsider this aspect of the amendments, Chang wrote in a report to the legislature on the issue.
Chang denied that he had ever labeled the associations "symbols of black gold politics," and said that they were "the pride of Taiwan."
"I have great gratitude to the associations. I don't want inappropriate personnel to take charge of the associations, as they would damage their development," Chang said in response to a question from People First Party Legislator Tsai Shen-chia (
Tsai said that among 43,715 people working for the associations, only 14 had been indicted.
"This extremely low percentage indicates that the current regulations meant to ensure the integrity of association staffers are adequate," Tsai said.
"Most public servants are not relieved of their posts unless they have been found guilty in the final verdict, so why do the associations' employees have to answer to stricter standards?" he said.
Chang denied this, saying that public servants were suspended from their duties if they are convicted in the second stage of a trial, and were fired if found guilty in the final verdict.
The Constitution stipulates that if the Cabinet deems a resolution on a statutory, budgetary, or treaty bill passed by the legislature difficult to implement, it may, if the president consents, request the legislature to reconsider the resolution. The original resolution is retained if half of the legislators present at a meeting held to vote on the matter decide to uphold the original version.
"I would take full responsibility according to the Constitution if the request fails to pass the legislature," Chang said, without elaborating.
Meanwhile, several DPP legislators yesterday threw their weight behind the Cabinet's call for reconsideration.
"As of last month, 16 staffers of 12 farmers' or fishermen's associations had been convicted in a third trial," DPP Legislator Charles Chiang (江昭儀) said at a press conference.
A chart provided by Chiang indicated that the 16 staffers had been convicted for offenses including breach of trust, election bribery, drug dealing and embezzlement of public funds.
"We all know that it takes a long time for a legal case to go through three trials," DPP Legislator Wang To-far (
"Relaxing the regulation to allow staffers who are standing trial for corruption to stay employed until a final verdict has been delivered will only give them more time to embezzle money from the associations," he said.
Wang said they agreed with the Cabinet that association personnel who are convicted in a second trial should be dismissed.
TENSIONS: The Chinese aircraft and vessels were headed toward the western Pacific to take part in a joint air and sea military exercise, the Ministry of National Defense said A relatively large number of Chinese military aircraft and vessels were detected in Taiwan’s vicinity yesterday morning, apparently en route to a Chinese military exercise in the western Pacific, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said. In a statement, the ministry said 36 Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, including J-16 fighters and nuclear-capable H-6 bombers, crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or an extension of it, and were detected in the southern and southeastern parts of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) from 5:20am to 9:30am yesterday. They were headed toward the western Pacific to take part in a
Honor guards are to stop performing changing of the guard ceremonies around a statue of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) to avoid “worshiping authoritarianism,” the Ministry of Culture said yesterday. The fate of the bronze statue has long been the subject of fierce and polarizing debate in Taiwan, which has transformed from an autocracy under Chiang into one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies. The changing of the guard each hour at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei is a major tourist attraction, but starting from 9am on Monday, the ceremony is to be moved outdoors to Democracy Boulevard, outside the eponymous blue-and-white memorial
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) supports peaceful unification with China, and President William Lai (賴清德) is “a bit naive” for being a “practical worker for Taiwanese independence,” former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said in an interview published yesterday. Asked about whether the KMT is on the same page as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on the issue of Taiwanese independence or unification with China, Ma told the Malaysian Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily that they are not. While the KMT supports peaceful unification and is against unification by force, the DPP opposes unification as such and
CASES SLOWING: Although weekly COVID-19 cases are rising, the growth rate has been falling, from 90 percent to 30 percent, 14 percent and 6 percent, the CDC said COVID-19 hospitalizations last week rose 6 percent to 987, while deaths soared 55 percent to 99, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, adding that the recent wave of infections would likely peak this week. People aged 65 or older accounted for 79 percent of the hospitalizations and 90 percent of the deaths, the majority of whom have or had underlying health conditions, CDC data showed. The youngest hospitalized case last week was a six-month-old, who was born preterm and was unvaccinated, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said. The infant had a fever, coughing and a runny nose early this month, but