National Assembly deputies yesterday passed the third and final reading of a historic constitutional amendment package aimed at reducing their own powers. The reform package was based on a consensus reached by the major political parties -- including the KMT, DPP and New Party.
The entire package of amendments -- the last to be initiated by the Assembly -- passed at 11:10pm, by a vote of 285 to 0. There were two abstentions.
Acting Assembly speaker Chen Chin-jang (
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"It meets public expectations and can reduce the costs for elections, while at the same time maintaining the existing constitutional structure," Chen said.
The package transfers many of the functions of the Assembly to the Legislative Yuan from May 20, when the term of incumbent Assembly deputies expires.
In addition, the package added an additional 25 seats to the legislature, giving it a total of 250 seats.
DPP Secretary-General You Shi-kun, reacting to the passage of the amendments said: "I am very happy with the result. this has been a goal of the DPP for many years."
Although the Assembly will retain the power to vote on the impeachment of the president or vice president, on constitutional amendments and on proposals to redraw national boundaries, it will no longer have the right to initiate such changes by itself. The right to formally propose such measures will, in future, belong to legislature.
The Assembly will also cease to be a permanent standing body, but will convene only when impeachment, constitutional reforms or national boundary changes have been formally proposed.
The New Party, in a statement released after the reform's completion, said that making the Assembly a non-standing body would help steady the constitutional system.
"The National Assembly has launched six constitutional reforms over the past 10 years based on some impromptu interests, which has triggered much public criticism and caused a number of contradictions in the constitutional system," the statement said.
The Assembly will meet for no more than one month on each occasion and will be disbanded as soon as the proposed measures are completed. On each occasion, 300 delegates will be appointed by political parties on a proportional representation basis. The method of such an election will be further set down by law. Other functions transferred to the Legislative Yuan include the power to elect the vice president when the office is vacant; initiating a proposal to recall the president or vice president; and confirming Judicial Yuan, Examination Yuan and Control Yuan appointments after they have been forwarded by the president.
The president will from now on deliver his annual state-of-the-nation report to the Legislative Yuan, instead of the Assembly. An amendment was also passed lifting Constitutional restrictions under which the president can be subject to impeachment. Previously, the president could be impeached only if he or she was charged with treason or sedition -- conditions considered too narrow.
For the first time ever, the Assembly also voted on the proposed amendments by open ballot -- making public the stand of each deputy. Determined to have the marginalization package passed, the KMT, DPP and New Party caucuses had all announced they would take disciplinary action against deputies disobeying the party line.
Patrick Huang (黃澎孝), convener of the People First Party caucus -- which is opposed to what it called "hasty" reforms, warned that the new system to appoint National Assembly deputies by proportional representation ran against democratic principles. Huang said he would not rule out filing an application with the Council of Grand Justices for a constitutional interpretation. In addition, another amendment is intended to give priority to government budgets for social welfare spending and protect the benefits of retired servicemen. Also, grand justices will no longer enjoy lifetime privileges.
WARNING: People in coastal areas need to beware of heavy swells and strong winds, and those in mountainous areas should brace for heavy rain, the CWA said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued sea and land warnings for Typhoon Ragasa, forecasting that it would continue to intensify and affect the nation the most today and tomorrow. People in Hualien and Taitung counties, and mountainous areas in Yilan and Pingtung counties, should brace for damage caused by extremely heavy rain brought by the typhoon’s outer rim, as it was upgraded to a super typhoon yesterday morning, the CWA said. As of 5:30pm yesterday, the storm’s center was about 630km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving northwest at 21kph, and its maximum wind speed had reached
MATAIAN RIVER: Rescue operations were ongoing, with officials urging residents to move to higher floors where possible as teams focus first on those at ground level Floodwaters from the overflowing Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) barrier lake swept into Hualien County’s Guangfu Township (光復) yesterday afternoon, leaving hundreds of people trapped and three missing as of press time last night, the Hualien County Fire Bureau said. The waters surged into downtown Guangfu after the riverbank burst at about 2:50pm, carrying mud and debris and submerging streets to rooftop level in some areas. Residents were seen climbing onto vehicles and rooftops to await rescue as thick, silt-laden water inundated the town. The surge destroyed the Mataian Bridge (馬太鞍溪橋) and flooded the Guangfu Railway Station. Rescue operations were launched with support from fire departments
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said that it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Ragasa this morning and a land warning at night as it approached Taiwan. Ragasa intensified from a tropical storm into a typhoon at 8am yesterday, the CWA said, adding that at 2pm, it was about 1,110km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip. The typhoon was moving northwest at 13kph, with sustained winds of up to 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA Web site showed. Forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said that Ragasa was projected to strengthen as it neared the Bashi Channel, with its 200km
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hualien and Taitung counties declared today a typhoon day, while schools and offices in parts of Kaohsiung and Pingtung counties are also to close Typhoon Ragasa was forecast to hit its peak strength and come closest to Taiwan from yesterday afternoon through today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Taiwan proper could be out of the typhoon’s radius by midday and the sea warning might be lifted tonight, it added. CWA senior weather specialist Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said that Ragasa’s radius had reached the Hengchun Peninsula by 11am yesterday and was expected to hit Taitung County and Kaohsiung by yesterday evening. Ragasa was forecast to move to Taiwan’s southern offshore areas last night and to its southwestern offshore areas early today, she added. As of 8pm last night,