Since the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) together secured a majority in the Legislative Yuan in February, the two parties have proposed numerous draft amendments to the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法), which would provide legislators with greater powers to investigate government officials, businesses and citizens.
However, outraged by the absence of proper legislative procedures and the lack of transparency, tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside the legislature on Tuesday to call for the withdrawal of the proposals.
The protesters said they are concerned that the amendments could lead to officials being arbitrarily charged with “contempt of the legislature” during interpellations, and that legislators could penalize them without having to provide any justification.
Other organizations such as Citizen Congress Watch also denounced the two parties for not adhering to procedural justice, despite having a majority to pass their proposals.
In spite of the widespread anger, the KMT and the TPP still voted to pass the second reading of the amendments. They said that the new legislation is only intended to prevent officials from providing irrelevant or deceptive responses when being questioned by lawmakers, and that this move would accelerate the legislative reforms they promised during their election campaigns.
However, the explanations have not convinced the public. Many still condemn the opposition for refusing to publish the details of the amendments on the Legislative Yuan Web site, undermining the democratic system.
Such criticism is directed especially toward TPP Legislator Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), who vocally opposed the KMT’s attempt to force the passage of the cross-strait service trade agreement in 2014, but is now accused of behaving in a similar manner.
President William Lai (賴清德) also called on the Legislative Yuan to function properly in his inaugural address on Monday. He said that while competition among political parties is inevitable, cross-party cooperation is needed to avoid unnecessary conflict. He also said that legislators should prioritize the national interest over their narrow party interests, adding that this is essential to ensure long-lasting social stability.
Several other political figures also voiced support for a more harmonious operation in the legislature. In an open letter published on Monday, New Power Party (NPP) Chairperson Claire Wang (王婉諭) said the president should convene a national affairs conference with opposition parties, so that the proposed bills could be thoroughly examined by each party through rational dialogue.
Taiwan Statebuilding Party Chairman Wang Hsing-huan (王興煥) in a speech at the protest on Monday called for the public to fight politicians’ abuse of power, adding that public solidarity is the most effective way to deter politicians from illegitimately expanding their power.
Although people have differing concerns about the reforms, most believe that the opposition ought to strictly observe the legislative procedures and allow the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to review the bills during the consultative sessions, and that the minority should accept all voting outcomes. Many also believe that it is equally important for the opposition majority to incorporate the DPP’s opinions into its legislative process so as to foster mutual respect.
Hopefully, with continued public supervision, the three parties would eventually opt for cooperation over competition, and work out solutions that can minimize public discontent.
Tshua Siu-ui is a Taiwanese student studying international relations and politics in Norwich, England.
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