Lawmakers agreed to hold a second extraordinary session to address proposed amendments to three gender equality laws and the Statute of Open Prisons, as well as review terms linked to a US-Taiwan trade deal, the Legislative Yuan said in a statement on Monday.
Following cross-party negotiations presided over by Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫?) earlier in the day, lawmakers agreed to convene another extraordinary session to discuss proposed amendments to the Act of Gender Equality in Employment (性別平等工作法), the Gender Equality Education Act (性別平等工作法) and the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act (性別平等工作法), the statement said.
Proposed amendments related to the Statute of Open Prisons and terms reached under the first agreement of the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade are also to be reviewed during the session from Monday evening to July 31, it said.
Photo: CNA
The lawmakers agreed that Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) was yesterday to present a report on sexual harassment prevention and answer questions in the legislature.
The premier is to repeat the process on issues related to the US-Taiwan trade agreement the next day, the statement said.
The US-Taiwan trade deal was inked on June 1 by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US and the American Institute in Taiwan.
Cross-party consensus was reached that all the proposed amendments and the trade deal could clear the legislature by the end of this month.
Opposition legislators also expressed hope that more laws could be amended during the extra session.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus deputy secretary-general Hsieh Yi-feng (謝衣鳳) said that the KMT hopes the Sexual Assault Crime Prevention Act (性騷擾防治法), the Stalking and Harassment Prevention Act (跟蹤騷擾防制法) and the Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act (兒童及少年福利與權益保障法) can also be amended this session.
KMT caucus head William Tseng (曾銘宗) and New Power Party Legislator Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) have suggested that measures to counter property hoarding and speculation should also be included on the agenda in light of grave public concern over the issues.
Taiwan People’s Party Legislator-at-large Chiu Chen yuan (邱臣遠) called for a review of the Information and Communication Security Management Act (資通安全管理法) and the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法) during the special session.
The first extraordinary session was held from June 14 to 21 to confirm the appointments of four grand justice candidates nominated by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
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