Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus convener Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) yesterday proclaimed his innocence and demanded that the Legislative Yuan’s Discipline Committee review his alleged role in a case of improper lobbying which triggered a national political controversy.
The senior lawmaker, accused of asking Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and high-ranking judicial officials to use their influence to sway a legal case, told a press conference that he demanded the committee review his alleged wrongdoing in “an open and transparent way.”
“I would accept whatever conclusion the committee reaches and punishment it decides upon,” Ker said.
Photo: CNA
However, the lawmaker said his request came with preconditions, as he also demanded that the committee — of which eight members are Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators — be re-established and that he is given enough time to present his own case.
Ker’s alleged misconduct was arguably the origin of the ongoing political strife between Wang and President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who many believe has been using the matter to remove Wang from his position as legislative speaker.
However, the allegation also put Ker and the DPP in a difficult situation, with many people and several DPP members criticizing them for inaction on dealing with the alleged misconduct which could tarnish the party’s image.
Ker told the press conference that he did not ask for an investigation until yesterday, one day after the new legislative session began on Tuesday, because he wanted to wait until the new session, when the Discipline Committee begins its operations.
DPP heavyweights, including DPP Chairman Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and former premiers Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) and Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃), recognized Ker’s proactive move to fight for his own integrity.
Meanwhile, the negotiation between political parties to allow Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) to deliver a report to the legislature broke down yesterday after Jiang was blocked from making the report on Tuesday.
Opposition lawmakers boycotted Jiang’s scheduled report because of his refusal to apologize for comments they said showed contempt for the legislature, as a party negotiation hosted by Wang ended without reaching a consensus.
The DPP demanded that Jiang apologize to Wang and the legislature before speaking on the podium, because Jiang infringed on the constitutional mechanism by saying that Wang was “incompetent” and endorsed a similar accusation by Ma against Wang in a press conference.
The second round of negotiation, also convened by Wang, again failed yesterday, with the KMT caucus and representatives from the Executive Yuan refusing to meet the demand for an apology, despite the DPP agreeing to abandon its four other demands. They were the abolition of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Special Investigation Division (SID), suspension of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant’s construction, the cancelation of the scheduled electricity rate hike and for Jiang to report to the legislature about alleged illegal wiretapping.
The failed negotiation meant that Jiang’s next opportunity to make his report, on Tuesday next week, may also end in failure.
Executive Yuan Secretary-General Chen Wei-zen (陳威仁) said after the negotiations that “apologizing was not an issue,” because Jiang had on several occasions offered explanations about his comments and the premier’s comment had been “distorted” by the media.
The KMT could not agree with the DPP’s “excessive demands,” KMT caucus whip Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池) said.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
CHINA POLICY: At the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China, the two sides issued strong support for Taiwan and condemned China’s actions in the South China Sea The US and EU issued a joint statement on Wednesday supporting Taiwan’s international participation, notably omitting the “one China” policy in a departure from previous similar statements, following high-level talks on China and the Indo-Pacific region. The statement also urged China to show restraint in the Taiwan Strait. US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino cochaired the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China and the sixth US-EU Indo-Pacific Consultations from Monday to Tuesday. Since the Indo-Pacific consultations were launched in 2021, references to the “one China” policy have appeared in every statement apart from the
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from