The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday won 10 convener seats in the Legislative Yuan’s committee convener elections, with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) securing the remaining six seats.
The DPP was expected to win more than 10 convener seats due to its 68 legislators in the 113-seat legislature, but the KMT managed to stop the DPP at 10 with the support of the People First Party (PFP) caucus and lotteries.
Of the eight legislative committees, the Foreign and National Defense Committee and the Finance Committee were the only two that chose their conveners via appointment instead of election.
DPP Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) and KMT Legislator Lu Yu-ling (呂玉玲) were appointed as the conveners of the Foreign and National Defense Committee, while DPP Legislator Wang Jung-chang (王榮璋) and KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) were appointed as the conveners of the Finance Committee.
The DPP won all convener seats of the Economics Committee and the Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee with the support of the New Power Party caucus, with DPP legislators Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) and Huang Wei-cher (黃偉哲) elected to preside over the Economics Committee, and DPP legislators Wu Yu-chin (吳玉琴) and Chen Ying (陳瑩) elected to convene the Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee.
DPP Legislator Yu Mei-nu (尤美女) was elected as Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee convener, while a drawing was conducted to choose between DPP Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) and KMT Legislator Hsu Shu-hua (許淑華), with Hsu winning.
A drawing was also held between KMT Legislator Chen Hsueh-sheng (陳雪生) and DPP legislators Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) and Cheng Pao-ching (鄭寶清) to select conveners for the Transportation Committee after the three garnered five votes each in the election, with Chen Hsueh-sheng and Lee winning the drawing.
DPP Legislator Chao Tien-lin (趙天麟) and KMT Legislator Chen Chao-ming (陳超明) were elected as Internal Administration Committee conveners, while DPP Legislator Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純) and KMT Legislator Apollo Chen (陳學聖) won the seats for the Education and Culture Committee.
The PFP caucus cast three of its four votes for the KMT’s Apollo Chen, Chen Chao-ming (陳超明) and Chen Hsueh-sheng and one vote for the DPP’s Yu.
Chen Chao-ming won a drawing to schedule a budget review for the Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee.
DPP Legislator Chao Tien-lin said that as the committee’s primary assignment is to deal with the KMT’s assets and Chen Chao-ming is a KMT member, Chen Chao-ming should avoid abusing his scheduling power over the committee’s budget review, calling on him to remain neutral and not manipulate the agenda in the KMT’s favor.
Chen Chao-ming said he would ensure a fair scheduling and review process, as the KMT does not rely on its assets and wishes to settle the issue, even though there are controversial presumptions in the Act Governing the Handling of Ill-gotten Properties by Political Parties and Their Affiliate Organizations (政黨及其附隨組織不當取得財產處理條例).
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS