Former Yunlin County commissioner Lee Chin-yung’s (李進勇) nomination as chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) yesterday cleared a preliminary review at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, despite protests from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers.
Lee’s nomination was jointly reviewed yesterday morning by the Internal Administration Committee and the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee.
However, the meeting got off to a rough start as KMT lawmakers tried to bar Lee from entering the room, leading to a physical confrontation between KMT and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
To break the deadlock, DPP Legislator Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸), who was chairing the meeting, said that the committees would proceed directly with a vote.
Lee was elected with 15 “yes” votes to five “no” votes.
After the decision was announced, KMT legislators began yelling that the voting procedure was illegal and that the outcome was void.
Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) and other KMT legislators began throwing water about the meeting room, prompting DPP Legislator Ho Chih-wei (何志偉) to caution them to be respectful in the legislature.
KMT Legislator Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) mocked the freshman legislator, saying he had “only been [in the legislature] several months” and that “mommy and daddy most certainly did not teach you to be this kind of legislator.”
KMT legislators then tried to stop Lee Chin-yung from leaving, yelling for him to quit and saying his nomination as chairman was “disgraceful.”
KMT caucus whip Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) accused the DPP of abusing its power as the legislative majority.
Lee Chin-yung was a top DPP member and by accepting the CEC nomination, he has broken his promise to retire from politics after stepping down as Yunlin County commissioner, Chiang said.
“Does everyone believe he [Lee Chin-yung] will be fair and impartial?” Chiang asked.
DPP Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said that the committee members were exercising their legal rights in voting in the CEC chairperson nomination, and that they were obligated to exercise this right within a specified time frame.
The DPP was troubled by the minority KMT’s irrational boycott of the vote, he said at a meeting of the DPP’s Central Standing Committee.
Lee Chin-yung is an accomplished and experienced lawyer, and has extensive experience in local elections, Cho said.
Lee Chin-yung had already formally left the DPP and would be able to carry out his duties in an impartial and fair manner under the supervision of the legislature, Cho said.
He urged all legislators to cooperate on future elections and referendums.
Lee Chin-yung’s nomination awaits final approval by lawmakers during a plenary session.
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