Wed, Apr 29, 2015 page1

• Wang seeks wider cross-strait exchanges

  TSU ROADBLOCK: The party’s lawmakers paralyzed the legislature with 200 motions to change the agenda to derail a move by the KMT on an oversight mechanism

  • By Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter
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  Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday said that nothing would be “nonnegotiable” between Taiwan and China once certain conditions are met.

  Wang made the remarks at a news conference about a Taiwanese film company’s documentary on a father-son pair of Qing Dynasty artist-officials, Dong Bangda (董邦達) and Dong Gao (董誥).

  Chinese culture is what connects the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, Wang said, calling for more cultural exchanges, creating more consensuses and increased collaboration.

  

  A member of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) holds up a sign in the legislature yesterday opposing Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chang Ching-chung convening a committee to reconsider draft bills for an oversight mechanism for cross-strait agreements, in response to a sign placed on the speaker’s podium by the KMT accusing the TSU of destroying legislative efficiency for selfish reasons.

  Photo: Fang Pin-Chao Taipei Times

  “When one day the political systems of the two sides are compatible, the GDP per capita comparable, the social and public values similar, and religious freedom guaranteed, the heart of the two sides of the Strait could be melded together and nothing would be nonnegotiable then,” the speaker said.

  Meanwhile, asked if he would run in next year’s presidential election for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) or instead run for legislative office in Changhua County as has been rumored, Wang called the rumor “nonsense,” but refused to give a definitive answer about the presidential race.

  He said a conclusion “would surely be out before May 16,” the deadline for picking up a KMT presidential primary application.

  

  Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo: Fang Pin-Chao, Taipei Times

  In related news, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus stalled the legislature with 200 agenda-changing motions in a bid to derail a KMT plan related to draft bills for an oversight mechanism for cross-strait agreements.

  The KMT reportedly aims to pass a reconsideration motion of referring the bills to the Internal Administration Committee for review.

  If the reconsideration had been put to a floor vote yesterday as the KMT caucus had planned, it likely would have been passed, given the KMT’s legislative majority.

  The party could then have had the committee’s convener, KMT Legislator Chang Ching-chung (張慶忠), preside over the review of the oversight bills.

  Chang helped trigger the Sunflower movement in March last year by ramming the cross-strait service trade agreement through the committee and to the legislative floor in just 30 seconds.

  The TSU launched its stalling campaign after cross-party negotiations broke down in the morning.

  KMT deputy caucus whip Liao Kuo-tung (廖國棟) said the KMT conceded by allowing KMT Legislator Chiu Wen-yen (邱文彥) to chair the review instead of Chang.

  However, TSU lawmakers said there should be a review without the KMT playing a presiding role in the committee.

  They then proposed 200 motions to change the legislative agenda.

  Each motion requires at least a few minutes to be put to a floor vote. When the floor meeting adjourned at about 4pm, only 61 of the motions had been voted upon.
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