The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus dominated the Legislative Yuan's committee head elections yesterday, winning 15 of the 16 seats in the eight standing committees.
KMT legislators Wu Yu-sheng (
KMT legislators Wong Chung-chun (
PHOTO: CHU PEI-HSIUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The Education and Culture Committee will be led by KMT Legislator Chiang Yi-hsiung (江義雄) and People First Party (PFP) Legislator Lin Cheng-er (林正二), while the Transportation Committee meetings will be presided over by KMT legislators Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) and Chen Ken-te (陳根德).
The Judiciary, Organic Laws and Statutes Committee will be headed by KMT legislators Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) and Wu Ching-chih (吳清池), while the Sanitation, Environment, Social Welfare and Labor Committee will be led by KMT legislators Chung Shao-ho (鍾紹和) and Hsu Shao-ping (徐少萍).
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus, which has 27 of the 113 legislative seats, did not nominate any candidates for the elections after rejecting the KMT caucus' offer of four spots.
The Non-Partisan Solidarity Union (NPSU) caucus, which has three legislative seats, made a last-minute nomination of Legislator May Chin (高金素梅) to head the Judiciary, Organic Laws and Statutes Committee but she did not win.
When asked for comment, director of the KMT's Policy Research Committee, Lin Yi-shih (林益世), said the party was unable to negotiate committee head elections with the NPSU in advance because the union did not propose negotiations until Sunday morning.
Lin said he had personally explained the caucus' decision to support the committee head candidates it had nominated on Friday, adding that he hoped the KMT and NPSU would continue to cooperate in the future.
After the elections, however, NPSU lawmakers criticized the KMT for breaking off negotiations and not allowing a NPSU legislator to take a convener seat.
May Chin told a press conference that the KMT caucus had agreed it would allow her to take one of two Judiciary Committee convener posts, but the election results proved the KMT had broken its promise.
She said KMT legislators could not win the public's trust.
NPSU Legislator Lin Pin-Kuan (林炳坤) accused the KMT of abandoning the negotiations and said the union might refuse to negotiate with the KMT in the future.
Meanwhile, DPP deputy caucus whip Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) told reporters that KMT legislators had made no effort to avoid conflict of interest when choosing the committees they wanted to seat on and in the convener elections. Certain KMT legislators who have joined the Judiciary Committee are under investigation or facing trial, while those on the Economics and Energy Committee represent local interest groups, she said.
Additional reporting by Rich Chang
CHANGING LANDSCAPE: Many of the part-time programs for educators were no longer needed, as many teachers obtain a graduate degree before joining the workforce, experts said Taiwanese universities this year canceled 86 programs, Ministry of Education data showed, with educators attributing the closures to the nation’s low birthrate as well as shifting trends. Fifty-three of the shuttered programs were part-time postgraduate degree programs, about 62 percent of the total, the most in the past five years, the data showed. National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) discontinued the most part-time master’s programs, at 16: chemistry, life science, earth science, physics, fine arts, music, special education, health promotion and health education, educational psychology and counseling, education, design, Chinese as a second language, library and information sciences, mechatronics engineering, history, physical education
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
Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe (李延賀) has been sentenced to three years in prison, fined 50,000 yuan (US$6,890) in personal assets and deprived political rights for one year for “inciting secession” in China, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said today. The Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court announced the verdict on Feb. 17, Chen said. The trial was conducted lawfully, and in an open and fair manner, he said, adding that the verdict has since come into legal effect. The defendant reportedly admitted guilt and would appeal within the statutory appeal period, he said, adding that the defendant and his family have
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