DPP lawmakers seek constitutional rulings

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus yesterday filed for a constitutional interpretation with the Council of Grand Justices over the number of legislators needed to file an interpretation and over the electoral constituencies used in the Jan. 12 legislative elections.

More one-third of legislators are now required to endorse a request for the legislature to file for a constitutional interpretation.

The DPP also questioned Article Four of the amendments to the Constitution that regulates that there are 73 constituencies in the new legislature and there must be at least one legislative seat for each county.

"It seems to me that if things stay the same, only the Chinese Nationalist Party will have the authority to file for an interpretation. This is not right," said caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘).

UNFAIR?

"We are also concerned that the current regulations on the legislative constituencies are not fair," he said.

Ker that there are more than 6 million people living in Taipei City and Taipei County but there are only 20 legislative seats for the metropolitan area, while Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu each have one legislative seat for much smaller populations.

"This problem must be remedied or power within the legislature will remain unbalanced," Ker said.

He suggested at a press conference yesterday that the number of Aboriginal seats be reduced, although he did not specify a number.

He had previously called for Penghu, Kinmen and Lienchiang countries to be merged into a combined electoral district.

KMT RESPONDS

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus responded yesterday by condemning the DPP's refusal to accept its election defeat.

"The single-district, two-vote system was promoted by the DPP two years ago, but now the party has requested a constitutional interpretation. The DPP has refused to accept the fact that it lost the legislative elections," caucus whip Kuo Su-chun (郭素春) said at the Legislative Yuan.

Kuo KMT Legislator Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) condemned the DPP for suggesting that the number of legislative seats for Aborigines be reduced and the electoral districts for the outlying islands be merged into one.

Hsieh the Constitution protected people's "substantive equality" rather than "absolute equality."

The DPP's appeal asks for absolute equality, and ignores the legislative representation of minority groups and people in remote areas, he said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MO YAN-CHIH