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.
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry gives it a strategic advantage, but that advantage would be threatened as the US seeks to end Taiwan’s monopoly in the industry and as China grows more assertive, analysts said at a security dialogue last week. While the semiconductor industry is Taiwan’s “silicon shield,” its dominance has been seen by some in the US as “a monopoly,” South Korea’s Sungkyunkwan University academic Kwon Seok-joon said at an event held by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. In addition, Taiwan lacks sufficient energy sources and is vulnerable to natural disasters and geopolitical threats from China, he said.
After reading the article by Hideki Nagayama [English version on same page] published in the Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) on Wednesday, I decided to write this article in hopes of ever so slightly easing my depression. In August, I visited the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, Japan, to attend a seminar. While there, I had the chance to look at the museum’s collections. I felt extreme annoyance at seeing that the museum had classified Taiwanese indigenous peoples as part of China’s ethnic minorities. I kept thinking about how I could make this known, but after returning
What value does the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) hold in Taiwan? One might say that it is to defend — or at the very least, maintain — truly “blue” qualities. To be truly “blue” — without impurities, rejecting any “red” influence — is to uphold the ideology consistent with that on which the Republic of China (ROC) was established. The KMT would likely not object to this notion. However, if the current generation of KMT political elites do not understand what it means to be “blue” — or even light blue — their knowledge and bravery are far too lacking
Taipei’s population is estimated to drop below 2.5 million by the end of this month — the only city among the nation’s six special municipalities that has more people moving out than moving in this year. A city that is classified as a special municipality can have three deputy mayors if it has a population of more than 2.5 million people, Article 55 of the Local Government Act (地方制度法) states. To counter the capital’s shrinking population, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) held a cross-departmental population policy committee meeting on Wednesday last week to discuss possible solutions. According to Taipei City Government data, Taipei’s