The deplorable quality of Taiwan's legislative body is well-known. Its lawmakers are famous for their fistfights and the Legislative Yuan harbors many of the country's richest and shadiest people.
Lawmakers are rarely the object of respect and admiration; the Legislative Yuan has been known as the "Black-gold Yuan." Now, the new government has announced that August is "anti-crime month" and that it will work to clean up the legislature while that body is in recess. Thus the recent raid on Chenlan Temple
For the first time ever, the government seems to be serious about pulling out the tiger's teeth.
However, the raid on Liao's residential suite in the legislators' Ta-an Complex has triggered a row over the Legislative Yuan's independence. Prosecutors insist that they have followed the Criminal Procedure Law and that they notified the director of the Ta-an Complex. They argue that since the complex is a residential area, it is outside the scope of Constitutional protection given to legislators within the grounds of the Legislative Yuan.
The prosecutors may have followed the letter of the law, but not the spirit of executive, legislative and judicial independence as befits a democratic state. Prosecutors entering the legislature's premises to execute the law certainly compromise the legislature's independence. Prosecutors should, therefore, first obtain approval from the speaker of the legislature. This step has not been written into law, but is clearly an essential move. Germany's Basic Law provides a good reference -- it prohibits any search or seizure in the federal parliament buildings without approval from the parliament's speaker.
Taiwan has been making big strides toward freedom and democracy in recent years. However, we would be wrong to think we have left the former authoritarian system far behind. We need to protect and ensure the growth of democracy and freedom. Elected government bodies should be given more independence and autonomy, in order to avoid inappropriate interference from the executive and judicial branches.
In the 1970s, when the military staged war games outside the Provincial Assembly while it was holding a meeting, tang wai (
The prosecutors raided a lawmaker's research room without notifying the legislature's speaker and their own superior -- the minister of justice. The raids yielded no significant breakthrough in terms of investigations, only accusations that the justice ministry wants to "arrest people first and look for evidence later." Prosecutors also risk retaliation from lawmakers when the time comes for budget and policy reviews. The risk of serious political repercussions prompted Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan
After the raid, the legislature immediately extended its jurisdiction to all its subsidiary offices and warned judicial authorities that they cannot search them without approval from the speaker. This goes beyond Taiwan's existing laws, but it is a major step toward building healthy interaction between the executive, legislative and judicial branches.
It may have given "black gold" lawmakers another layer of protection, but it will also provide Taiwan's democracy with a similar shield.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
As former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrapped up his visit to the People’s Republic of China, he received his share of attention. Certainly, the trip must be seen within the full context of Ma’s life, that is, his eight-year presidency, the Sunflower movement and his failed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, as well as his eight years as Taipei mayor with its posturing, accusations of money laundering, and ups and downs. Through all that, basic questions stand out: “What drives Ma? What is his end game?” Having observed and commented on Ma for decades, it is all ironically reminiscent of former US president Harry