Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) yesterday said a bill to deal with ill-gotten party assets proposed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is unconstitutional, a day after the legislature failed to pass the bill due to the KMT caucus’ obstruction of proceedings.
Hung made the remarks in Kaohsiung at an event for the party’s younger members in response to reporters’ questions on the legislature’s failed attempt to pass the bill on Friday.
Asked about an accusation that the KMT’s actions in the legislature were a tactic to hamper and slow down the legislative process in order to buy time for the party, Hung said: “Regardless of whether the bill is passed, the KMT will follow its own schedule [to handle party assets].”
Photo: Ko Yu-hao, Taipei Times
“I also have to point out that people have been paying attention only to the names of [the bill on ill-gotten party assets and a bill to promote transitional justice], but have they noticed that the ruling-party-controlled Executive Yuan has not proposed its own versions [of the two bills]? There are only versions proposed by DPP lawmakers,” she said, adding that it exemplifies an “irresponsible attitude.”
“Also, has anyone looked at the content of the bills? [The bills were] deliberately designed to unjustly and unfairly target [the KMT]. They are also against the law and the Constitution,” Hung said.
It is not that the KMT wants to protect its party assets, “the source of which is still under debate, but that an environment for fair competition among parties should be maintained,” she said.
The legislature was expected to pass the bill on ill-gotten party assets at Friday’s general assembly meeting, but failed to do so due to the KMT caucus, which called for several votes for each of the session’s 276 first-reading bills. The DPP caucus proposed an extension of the session until midnight, which in the end was futile, as the bill on ill-gotten party assets was not reached before midnight.
As Friday was the last day of this year’s first legislative session, the DPP caucus said it would call two extraordinary sessions, one later this month and one next month, at which the DPP expects the bills on ill-gotten party assets and to promote transitional justice will clear the legislature.
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