The Legislative Yuan on Monday was the target of a withering attack launched by Taipei Forum chairman and chief executive officer Su Chi (蘇起) at a conference in Washington.
Su told the audience that he could be at “huge personal risk” for washing Taiwan’s dirty linen in public, saying that even though the legislature’s shortcomings were an “open secret” at home, plenty of people still want to hide them.
“I may go home and find myself in big trouble,” the former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmaker and Mainland Affairs Council chairman said.
Su told the Brookings Institution conference — titled “LY [Legislative Yuan]: Oversight or Overreach?” — that he nevertheless wants to share the truths he has discovered.
Introducing Su, Brookings Center for East Asia Policy Studies director Richard Bush said that the average American had no impression at all about the Taiwanese legislature, “but if he did have an impression, it would probably be a negative one gleaned solely from videos of fist fights in the Legislative Yuan.”
“The negative impression really is too bad because it is important to understand why the LY lacks public confidence and what the consequences of its dysfunction are for public policy and the legitimacy of the political system,” said Bush, a former American Institute in Taiwan chairman.
Su said that the legislature was “woefully” understudied, adding that the support system for lawmakers was “very, very weak” and that it was common knowledge that the Budget Center offers scant help to legislators when they review budgets.
Su provided polling figures to show that the legislature had been held in “low esteem” for years and said lawmakers spend most of their time trying to get re-elected, attending “a funeral in the morning, a wedding for lunch and other events or celebrations, with so little time spent in the LY.”
“Working a crowd or hitting the media is the priority,” he said.
Su said many legislators turn up to legislative sessions only to sign in so a committee quorum can be formed before they “quickly disappear” to attend some outside event.
“It is difficult to keep legislators inside the LY,” he said.
The press has access to all legislative discussions and this results in a tendency to “feed” the media instead of debating issues, he said.
“I hate it, I’m sorry,” Su said.
He said that small minority parties without members on certain committees can still decide bills coming out of those committees.
“It’s ridiculous,” said Su, adding that as a result of the way that parties were able to wield their power, there were some “serious distortions” of influence.
He said that some aspects of the legislature constitute “the darkest corner of Taiwan’s democracy” and make him feel ashamed.
Reforms have been proposed, but they have not been adopted, Su said, adding that ministers were obliged to attend sessions in which they had nothing to do. One minister even wrote a book while sitting in on sessions, Su said.
The legislature’s Ethics Committee exists in name only and rarely meets, he said.
“One time, a well-know legislator set off tear gas in a room and everybody choked, but nothing was done about it,” Su said, referring to an October 2006 incident in which former independent lawmaker Li Ao (李敖) sprayed tear gas at a Procedure Committee meeting.
He finished by saying that lawmakers mostly occupy themselves with non-legislative matters, some committees were perfunctory and other parts of the legislative system were undemocratic.
“It is sad, but I prefer to give you the truth and I will go back home and face the music,” Su said.
Additional reporting by staff writer
People can take the Taipei MRT free of charge if they access it at Nanjing Sanmin Station or Taipei Arena Station on the Green Line between 12am and 6am on Jan. 1, the Taipei Department of Transportation said on Friday, outlining its plans to ease crowding during New Year’s events in the capital. More than 200,000 people are expected to attend New Year’s Eve events in Taipei, with singer A-mei (張惠妹) performing at the Taipei Dome and the city government’s New Year’s Eve party at Taipei City Hall Plaza, the department said. As people have tended to use the MRT’s Blue or
Civil society groups yesterday protested outside the Legislative Yuan, decrying Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) efforts to pass three major bills that they said would seriously harm Taiwan’s democracy, and called to oust KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁). It was the second night of the three-day “Bluebird wintertime action” protests in Taipei, with organizers announcing that 8,000 people attended. Organized by Taiwan Citizen Front, the Economic Democracy Union (EDU) and a coalition of civil groups, about 6,000 people began a demonstration in front of KMT party headquarters in Taipei on Wednesday, organizers said. For the third day, the organizers asked people to assemble
Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
Taiwanese professional baseball should update sports stadiums and boost engagement to enhance fans’ experience, Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) in an interview on Friday. The league has urged Farglory Group and the Taipei City Government to improve the Taipei Dome’s outdated equipment, including relatively rudimentary television and sound systems, and poor technology, he said. The Tokyo Dome has markedly better television and sound systems, despite being 30 years old, because its managers continually upgraded its equipment, Tsai said. In contrast, the Taipei Dome lacked even a room for referees
RSS