The majority of Control Yuan nominees yesterday made public their conditional support for abolishing the agency during a review at the Legislative Yuan.
The legislature had requested that the six Control Yuan nominees — former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇), former Judicial Reform Foundation chief executive officer Kao Yung-cheng (高涌誠), Taiwan Association for Disability Rights secretary-general Wang Yu-ling (王幼玲), former minister without portfolio Lin Sheng-feng (林盛豐), National Yang Ming University public health professor Peter Chang (張武修) and former DPP legislator Walis Perin — be present for the review, which was carried out in the form of a question-and-answer session.
Asked by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) whether they agreed that the Control Yuan should be abolished, Tien started her response by mentioning former Control Yuan members Huang Huang-hsiung (黃煌雄) and Chang Teh-ming (張德銘).
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
“If all Control Yuan members can live up to the standards set by Huang and Chang Teh-ming when investigating,” Tien said, before she was interrupted by Lee, who demanded a straight answer.
Tien said she conditionally agreed.
Until the Constitution is amended, it is necessary to retain the Control Yuan, which could be repurposed in the meantime, Wang said.
Perin said he would agree to abolish it if a constitutional amendment was passed by lawmakers and approved via a referendum.
Kao said the Control Yuan has no place in his ideal constitutional system, but that does not mean he endorses annulling the right of audit, which should be returned to the legislature after the Constitution is amended.
Lin said he conditionally agreed.
Peter Chang was the only nominee who unconditionally agreed to the idea.
Lee then asked Tien whether she would stand her ground on US pork containing ractopamine and file a correction against the Council of Agriculture if it allowed US pork to be imported.
After Tien said she would, Lee challenged her response.
“Of course I would,” Tien said.
The KMT lawmaker then asked Kao whether he would open a case to investigate police who allegedly obstructed lawyers offering legal assistance to labor rights campaigners lying down on the tracks at Taipei Railway Station on Monday in a protest over amendments to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法).
Kao declined to comment on an “isolated” case, saying that it would hamper his investigative neutrality if his nomination is approved by lawmakers on Tuesday next week.
However, after Lee pressed him, Kao said that authorities should treat lawyers performing their duties with a certain level of respect, adding that he would investigate what he deems worthy issues if confirmed.
KMT Legislator Chen Yi-min (陳宜民) asked the six nominees whether they were members of a political party, and found that, except for Kao and Peter Chang, all are members of the DPP.
Tien protested after being asked by Chen if she believed that Control Yuan members should look past their political affiliations, saying that she is “clearly” politically affiliated, but that does not mean she would perform her duties as Control Yuan member in a biased manner.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
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
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
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
RSS