Wed, May 06, 2009 page1

• Review of assembly bill postponed

  WAR OF THE TRENCHES The KMT made the decision for fear the DPP would use the controversial amendment to gather support for its May 17 anti-Ma demonstration

  • By Flora Wang, Mo Yan-chih and Shih Hsiu-chuan / STAFF REPORTERS
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  The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus said yesterday it had postponed a review of “controversial” bills until after the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) rally on May 17 after the DPP threatened to do whatever it takes to block a proposed amendment to the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法).

  The KMT caucus previously said it would not rule out calling for a vote on the proposed amendment during yesterday’s plenary session.

  However, the KMT changed its mind after DPP legislators on Monday locked the doors to two conference rooms to disrupt the KMT’s attempt to complete the committee review of three bills that would allow schools in Taiwan to recruit Chinese students and to recognize Chinese educational credentials.

  

  Democratic Progressive Party legislators hold cards bearing the words “No to martial law, save democracy” at a meeting of the Procedure Committee of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Opposition lawmakers were calling for draft amendments to the Assembly and Parade Act to be struck off Friday’s agenda.

  PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

  DPP legislators occupied the rooms for four-and-a-half hours until conveners of both committees adjourned the meetings.

  At a press conference, KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Lu Hsueh-chang (呂學樟) said the caucus would seek to prevent the DPP manipulating the issue to boost support for its rally against President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on May 17.

  KMT caucus secretary-general Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) said the caucus would continue to urge Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) to convene cross-party negotiation sessions on the proposed amendment.

  Despite the KMT’s decision, DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said the caucus would continue to boycott future plenary sessions if the KMT included the proposed amendment on the agenda.

  Ker also threatened to refuse to negotiate with the KMT, accusing it of being unwilling to make concessions during previous negotiations.

  The DPP opposes the amendment proposed by the Cabinet, which would give police the right to prevent a rally or change its route if the event posed a threat to national security, social order or the public interest.

  The proposal would also give police the authority to break up any rally that blocked traffic.

  Yang said the legislature could deliberate on whether to refer the DPP lawmakers to the Discipline Committee.

  Also, KMT policy committee director Lin Yi-shih (林益世) said the KMT would not allow the DPP to delay the legislative session and promised to review all bills before the session ends.

  Lin condemned the DPP over Monday’s boycott, saying it was attempting to gather more support for the demonstration on May 17.

  The KMT yesterday discussed strategies to stop the DPP from paralyzing future legislative committee meetings. Lin said the party caucus would finish the review process and hold provisional meetings to pass all priority bills if the DPP continued to block the meetings.

  Lin said the DPP had videotaped Monday’s incident and was ready to use the footage to motivate supporters to join the May 17 demonstration.

  DPP Secretary-General Wu Nai-jen (吳乃仁) led DPP supporters and Taipei City and County councilors yesterday in a protest outside the legislature against the proposed amendments to the Assembly and Parade Act.

  “Although the KMT legislators decided not to vote on the amendments to the Assembly and Parade Act [yesterday], we need to prepare to fight a long war to stop the law passing,” Wu told protesters.

  Wu said protesters would crowd the legislature each time it tried to vote on the law. Members of the Wild Strawberry Student Movement and independence supporters also protested against the proposed law outside the legislature yesterday.

  In related news, seven members of the Executive Yuan’s Human Rights Protection and Promotion Committee published an opinion piece in yesterday’s Chinese-language United Daily News calling on the government to take the concerns voiced by civil groups into consideration when revising the Assembly and Parade Act.

  They said the amendments to the Act favored by the KMT would create a “lose-lose situation” for protesters and police.

  Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) has convened the committee on an irregular basis to discuss rights issues since late last year.

  Bruce Liao (廖元豪), associate professor of law at National Chengchi University, said the KMT-favored amendment still “held a hostile attitude toward political rallies” despite some progressive revisions.

  Meanwhile, the legislature approved an amendment to the Narcotics Endangerment Prevention Act (毒品危害防制條例), raising fines for producing or trafficking drugs.

  ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RICH CHANG

  Also See: EDITORIAL: Alarmism: Never the best policy
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