Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien yesterday caused a furor in the Control Yuan by saying that it might as well shut down because it was not able to perform its purpose of serving justice, after it failed to impeach Keelung Mayor Chang Tong-rong (張通榮), who was convicted by the Keelung District Court of using his influence to persuade authorities to let a woman who had allegedly driven under the influence of alcohol and assaulted a policewoman off with no charges.
It was the second time the impeachment motion failed. Under current regulations, the Control Yuan will not be able to try to impeach Chang again on the issue.
Wang said he originally thought the second meeting would pass the motion, particularly since the media had long labeled the Control Yuan “incompetent.”
Stating that he was very sorry to hear it had not passed, Wang said: “If the Control Yuan cannot provide justice and equality, it might be better to abolish the branch.”
Wang said that Control Yuan positions were often used as bargaining chips or rewards for political favors, adding that if something was not done, the quality of the Control Yuan will continue to go downhill and become one of the “three institutions brewing chaos” to the nation and its people.
Wang was referencing comments by former department of health minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良), who once said that “the media, the Legislative Yuan and the Control Yuan are the three parties creating chaos in Taiwan.”
If Republic of China founding father Sun Yat-sen (孫中山), who designed the Control Yuan as one of the five government branches, knew of the nation’s current situation, he “would cry a river” at how his progeny misconstrued the Control Yuan system, Wang said.
“I’m not saying that the Control Yuan with its current members is persecuting people, but the fact that we are seeing very little effect while spending such great amounts of money shows that we have come to a fork in the road,” Wang said.
“If we don’t change, we will not be far from the fate former minister Yang had ascribed to the Control Yuan,” he added.
Wang said the Legislative Yuan — with its powers of constitutional amendment — should “actively broach the subject and review the Control Yuan system” and either make it smaller, or remove it completely.
Wang said he did not care if his comments created a backlash from other Control Yuan members.
“It’s not a personal issue I’m talking about, but rather the good of Taiwan,” he said.
In response, Control Yuan members said that if the Control Yuan president is making such comments, “he should perhaps resign first.”
“What has the Control Yuan President done over the past five years?” Control Yuan member Lee Ful-dien (李復甸) said when reached for comment.
Wang had done nothing to maintain the institution’s health, nor had he done anything that would further its goals, Lee said, adding that Wang had only placed more and more limitations on Control Yuan members’ powers.
“I see no reason, no right, for him to criticize us while we are working hard on cases,” Lee said.
Control Yuan member Chien Lin Whei-jun (錢林慧君) said that if there was a need to “review,” the Control Yuan should review itself.
“Wang is not doing his job correctly,” she said.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique