The Executive Yuan put forth a measure yesterday that would outlaw politicians with a criminal record from holding public office.
The Executive Yuan approved yesterday revisions to the Public Officials Election and Recall Law (公職人員選罷法), which includes a so-called "black gold exclusion clause" (排黑條款). The measure imposes tough restrictions on candidates with backgrounds in organized crime who run for public office.
Citing the Organized Crime Prevention Act (組織犯罪防制條例) as reference, the Cabinet's draft amendments yesterday stipulate that politicians convicted under the act will not be allowed to participate in any elections during their lifetime.
In addition, anyone serving a suspended sentence for an offence under the act, and criminals facing death sentences or prison sentences of 10 years or more, would not be allowed to register as election candidates.
The ban would also apply to convicted racketeers released from prison within the last 10 years.
The draft will shortly be submitted to the legislature for review.
If passed, however, it will terminate the political lives of many incumbent lawmakers, such as KMT Legislator Kuo Ting-tsai (郭廷才) and independent Legislator Wu Tse-yuan (伍澤元), immediately disqualifying them from running in next year's legislative elections.
Kuo was found guilty of embezzling more than NT$2.3 million from a Pingtung credit cooperative and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Wu, a former Pingtung county commissioner, was convicted on charges of corruption and sentenced to 15 years.
The Cabinet's draft is expected to spark intense debate and encounter many obstacles in the legislature.
The draft, in addition, addresses political parties' responsibilities for nominating candidates who are involved in vote-buying or use violence to secure votes. If candidates are found guilty of such violations, their parties will be penalized with fines of between NT$500,000 and NT$5 million.
In a related event, the KMT yesterday released a special report prepared by one of its think tanks on the new government's investigation into "black gold."
KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰), citing cases in which legislators' offices and media offices were searched, said that the DPP government had abused its administrative and political power to interfere with judicial investigations.
Lien also said that the DPP government had failed to respect due process, and that as a result the rule of law has not prevailed despite the people's support of the government's efforts to eradicate "black gold."
Members of the KMT's Central Standing Committee Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) and Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who are regarded as having no connections with local factions, yesterday endorsed the report.
But at the same time, the KMT members urged their party to cut its connections with local mafia and organized crime groups.
Liu said that the party should make a clean break with its "black gold" past, otherwise, it will be hard for people to realize the party's determination on political reforms, he said.
Ma also urged the party to enforce concrete measures so that the KMT would not be left behind in this respect.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
RSS