Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (
The KMT's proposed amendment to the law, which stipulates that commission members, whose number varies from 11 to 19, must be selected according to the ratio of seats held by each political party in the legislature, failed to pass the legislature in June because of a pan-green camp boycott.
As the dispute between the central government and the 18 pan-blue-controlled local governments over the Jan. 12 legislative election voting process intensifies, Wu yesterday said the KMT should once again push for the amendment to highlight the pan-green camp's attempt to "control" the Central Election Commission (CEC).
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) boycotted the `legalization' of the CEC in order to control it," Wu said while addressing the KMT election campaign team at party headquarters.
PUSHING
Saying that party legislators should push for the passage of the amendment during the current legislative term, Wu criticized President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) for turning the commission into an electoral tool of the DPP, adding that the KMT should not ignore the "crisis" before the election.
"We will accept the results of the election as long as the judge is fair," Wu said.
KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) joined Wu at the event, lashing out at Chen for "kidnapping the people" by controlling important bills and expressed his support for the KMT's decision to push for the amendment.
"By refusing to negotiate with local governments on the voting process, the central government is showing arrogance. It's very inappropriate," he said.
Ma said the amendment to the CEC was legitimate and that the DPP should not boycott it.
At a separate event yesterday, KMT caucus whip Tseng Yung-chuan (
"The controversy of whether to adopt a `one-step' or `two-step' voting procedure obviously stems from the fact that CEC operations are not regulated by law," Tseng said.
DPP TOOL
Calling the CEC a "tool" and an "accomplice" of the DPP, Tseng said the caucus believed it was "urgent" to "legalize" the CEC immediately after the legislative interpellation session ended.
The KMT caucus' insistence on pushing through the proposed amendment by the end of the last legislative session earlier this year led to deadlock as the DPP caucus insisted on first reviewing the 2007 fiscal budget bill.
The wrangling between the pan-green and pan-blue camps in the last legislative session marked the first time in the legislature's history that the central government's fiscal budget had remained stalled after the fiscal year had begun.
The Budget Act (預算法) stipulates that the legislature should complete its review of the central government budget bill one month before the start of the fiscal year.
The budget bill was not approved by the legislature until June 16 -- almost 10 months after it was referred to the legislature in September last year.
The legislature is currently reviewing the government's 2008 fiscal budget bill.
KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (
Asked for comment, Tseng said he would enhance communication with the speaker regarding the proposal.
In response, the DPP caucus said yesterday it was ready to go head to head with the KMT if the latter were to insist on the amendment.
Some DPP legislators have threatened to use violence to prevent the passing of the amendment.
"We do not have the word `give up' in our dictionary," DPP whip Ker Chien-ming (
The DPP will not negotiate and will not tolerate KMT attempts to shuffle priorities of the pending proposals, Ker said.
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said the legislature would schedule the handling of the bills in accordance with procedure, while urging the ruling and opposition parties not to encourage violence.
Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang
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