Taiwan People’s Party caucus whip Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) yesterday said the party caucus has already signed onto a constitutional amendment to abolish the Control Yuan, although the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was reluctant to support the idea.
The comments came after the Legislative Yuan passed a third reading of some of the amendments to the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法), which the Control Yuan alleged breached the separation of powers in the Constitution.
Huang said the abolition of the Control Yuan is one of the TPP’s cornerstones, and vowed that the caucus would propose a constitutional amendment on the matter.
Photo: Lin Che-yuan, Taipei Times
The Control Yuan costs NT$1 billion (US$30.83 million) per year of taxpayers’ money, but has proven worthless, he said, adding that it is the public’s consensus that such a useless organ be abolished.
KMT opinions were split between KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁), who voiced support for the motion, and the KMT Central Committee, which stated that the separation of powers is based on the framework crafted by Republic of China founder Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙).
KMT Culture and Communications Committee head Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) yesterday said in a statement after the party’s Central Standing Committee meeting that the Control Yuan, under the leadership of Control Yuan President Chen Chu (陳菊), had accomplished nothing.
Lee said the organ, which is supposed to provide government oversight, has become a tool of political oppression.
He was referring to the Control Yuan’s investigation into the arrest of the late Columbus Leo (羅益世) by then-Taipei Zhongshan Precinct Criminal Investigation Division director Hou You-yi (侯友宜) 35 years ago when Leo returned to Taiwan.
The Control Yuan respects legislators’ rights and powers, so long as such a motion is made through a constitutional amendment, as the Constitution establishes the Control Yuan’s powers, Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said.
Lee opposed freezing or removing the Control Yuan’s budget, because such methods would only affect how the government is run.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) yesterday said the motion to abolish the Control Yuan was another attempt to expand the power of the legislative branch.
Wang accused Fu and Huang of being “power hungry” and that such a situation was detrimental to the nation’s development.
Commenting on amendments to the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power that have already been passed, Wang said the DPP caucus would demand a constitutional interpretation and file for an injunction against the amendments to prevent them from coming into effect.
Additional reporting by CNA
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