The Central Epidemic Command Center’s (CECC) powers are being normalized and its head has been granted extraordinary powers without a legal basis, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-affiliated National Policy Foundation said yesterday, adding that the center’s authority should be temporary.
Former legislator Arthur Chen (陳宜民), a member of the foundation, said that the Legislative Yuan had nearly no control over the NT$840 billion (US$30.15 billion) set aside for a COVID-19 relief fund, while the only entity with any ability to oversee the CECC’s activity is the legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee.
As pandemic prevention measures have become the norm, the government is obligated to introduce legislative measures to provide a valid basis for what were previously emergency measures, Chen told an online forum hosted by the foundation.
Foundation representative Chien Jung-tsung (簡榮宗) said that Article 7 of the Special Act for Prevention, Relief and Revitalization Measures for Severe Pneumonia with Novel Pathogens (嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎防治及紓困振興特別條例) gives the CECC’s head tremendous power via legislative processes of uncertain validity.
Moreover, it is to be determined whether the CECC’s “electronic fence” — a location tracking program that uses a mobile app to ensure that people who are quarantined remain in permitted places — and its SMS location log in system breach privacy rights, Chien said.
Article 7 of the act is more powerful than an emergency executive order issued by the president, he said, adding that such measures should not be allowed to persist and legislation should be required for the CECC to be allowed to wield such power.
Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲), an associate professor of law at National Tsing Hua University’s Institute of Law for Science and Technology, said that Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, has great power, but his position should still yield to democratic principles.
Measures that infringe upon the public’s rights should be backed up by legislation, Weng said.
In other countries, legislation is required to enforce mask-wearing, but in Taiwan, an administrative order issued by the CECC was sufficient, she said.
Lawmakers must demand that all measures adopted by the CECC be supported by special legislation, she said.
Taipei City Councilor Chang Shi-gang (張斯綱) said that the ministry, the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration would function without difficulty should the CECC be abolished.
The ministry should not be given the authority to decide on all things related to the pandemic, as this exceeds its mandate, Chang said.
As COVID-19 infections have rapidly declined, the government should return to normal operations and the Executive Yuan must resume leadership over pandemic policy, he said.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
RSS