Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇), the convener of the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee, has scheduled the draft political party act (政黨法) for legislative review tomorrow, after KMT lawmakers last week blocked a review of draft regulations on the disposition of assets improperly obtained by political parties (政黨不當取得財產處理條例).
There are currently eight versions of the draft political party act, including proposals from the Executive Yuan, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the People First Party, the Taiwan Solidarity Union, and separate versions by DPP legislators Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) and Yu Mei-nu (尤美女).
Wu said that the Legislative Yuan should not focus only on the KMT and its party assets.
Taiwan has 260 registered political parties and legislation defining a political party as a legal entity, its rights and its establishment has long been stalled, Wu said.
The issue of political parties being allowed to use their assets for investment may also be open to discussion, he said.
The draft political party act is sufficient to resolve the issue of dealing with party assets, voiding the need to discuss the draft statute on disposition of assets improperly obtained by political parties, which is stuck in the legislature’s Procedure Committee, he said.
In response, DPP caucus convener Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said that the KMT’s assets have already exceeded the statute of limitations, but the KMT has blocked review of the draft statute on asset disposition at least 275 times since 2001.
Saying that the draft political party act does not fully cover the issue of party assets, DPP Legislator Yeh Yi-chin (葉宜津) said the KMT should stop paying lip service whenever the opposition calls for a review of its party assets.
DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said he would pay special attention to the review tomorrow to ensure fair competition during elections.
The draft political party act has been in limbo for more than two years since KMT Legislator Chiang Ching-chung (張慶忠) blocked its review, Lee said.
The DPP caucus said it plans to propose a review of the draft statute on disposition of assets improperly obtained by political parties statute again today and urged KMT lawmakers not to oppose the motion.
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