Cooperation in the "pan-green" camp ground to a halt yesterday, after a TSU lawmaker accused three of his DPP colleagues of profiting through interfering with bids for the construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, sparking a near-physical confrontation and a day of angry recrimination.
In contrast to the behind-the-scenes resentment that has characterized their relationship in the past, yesterday's disputes were both severe and public, and appear to have seriously impaired the parties' relationship.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
First challenged by DPP lawmaker Wang Sing-nan (王幸男) at the legislative chamber, TSU lawmaker Su Ying-kwei (蘇盈貴) was later involved in an angry war of words at the entrance of the main legislative building with DPP lawmaker Cheng Tsao-min (鄭朝明) and his wife Huang Ying-chu (黃英桔).
Shouting erupted following Su's allegation, first made on Tuesday, that Cheng, along with two other DPP law-makers, Liang Mu-yang (
Su charges that the accused lawmakers interfered with the bidding process for the building of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in an effort to let certain companies win the contracts.
Huang, who is also an aide of Cheng's, demanded that Su must present his evidence.
Apparently losing her composure, Huang pushed Su and was poised to strike him when guards broke up the two.
In the legislative chamber a while earlier, Wang asked Su to show his proof and sign an agreement which would, Wang said, make certain that all individuals involved in the case would be held accountable for their conduct.
The agreement is supposed to have said that the three DPP lawmakers should resign if they are proved to have been connected to the scandal, otherwise the accusers, Su and PFP lawmaker Chiu Yi (
What's more, the dispute has provoked tension within the TSU, as most of its legislators would just as soon see the entire dispute come to a quick end.
For this reason, Su felt "betrayed" by their party comrades.
"It is not an issue that I can make an apology for. It is a matter of right and wrong. To have a sense of what's right and wrong is the basic principle of being a human being," Su said after his colleague, Huang Chung-yuan (黃宗源), offered an apology to the DPP on Su's behalf.
"My purpose [for identifying the DPP legislators] was to establish a sound system in the government. I had no intention of hurting anyone."
Huang Chung-yuan said earlier at a press conference that he was sorry his colleague has harmed the reputation of DPP lawmakers before presenting evidence finding them guilty. He said he would like to make an apology in Su's name.
Fearing that the fights would continue to strain relations between the "pan greens," leaders of the two caucuses have begun talks to calm tensions.
Nonetheless, legislators across party lines yesterday demanded an immediate investigation to ascertain the accuracy of the accusations.
The three DPP legislators involved in the incident ended the day maintaining their innocence and vowing to commit suicide if evidence shows they committed any misconduct in the case.
The US government has signed defense cooperation agreements with Japan and the Philippines to boost the deterrence capabilities of countries in the first island chain, a report by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The main countries on the first island chain include the two nations and Taiwan. The bureau is to present the report at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee tomorrow. The US military has deployed Typhon missile systems to Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture and Zambales province in the Philippines during their joint military exercises. It has also installed NMESIS anti-ship systems in Japan’s Okinawa
‘WIN-WIN’: The Philippines, and central and eastern European countries are important potential drone cooperation partners, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) in an interview published yesterday confirmed that there are joint ventures between Taiwan and Poland in the drone industry. Lin made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper). The government-backed Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance and the Polish Chamber of Unmanned Systems on Wednesday last week signed a memorandum of understanding in Poland to develop a “non-China” supply chain for drones and work together on key technologies. Asked if Taiwan prioritized Poland among central and eastern European countries in drone collaboration, Lin
BACK TO WORK? Prosecutors said they are considering filing an appeal, while the Hsinchu City Government said it has applied for Ann Kao’s reinstatement as mayor The High Court yesterday found suspended Hsinchu mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) not guilty of embezzling assistant fees, reducing her sentence to six months in prison commutable to a fine from seven years and four months. The verdict acquitted Kao of the corruption charge, but found her guilty of causing a public official to commit document forgery. The High Prosecutors’ Office said it is reviewing the ruling and considering whether to file an appeal. The Taipei District Court in July last year sentenced Kao to seven years and four months in prison, along with a four-year deprivation of civil rights, for contravening the Anti-Corruption
NO CONFIDENCE MOTION? The premier said that being toppled by the legislature for defending the Constitution would be a democratic badge of honor for him Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday announced that the Cabinet would not countersign the amendments to the local revenue-sharing law passed by the Legislative Yuan last month. Cho said the decision not to countersign the amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) was made in accordance with the Constitution. “The decision aims to safeguard our Constitution,” he said. The Constitution stipulates the president shall, in accordance with law, promulgate laws and issue mandates with the countersignature of the head of the Executive Yuan, or with the countersignatures of both the head of the Executive Yuan and ministers or
RSS