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).
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
COGNITIVE WARFARE: Chinese fishing boats transmitting fake identification signals are meant to test Taiwan’s responses to different kinds of perceived incursions, a report said Chinese vessels are transmitting fake signals in Taiwan’s waters as a form of cognitive warfare, testing Taipei’s responses to various types of incursions, a report by the Institute for the Study of War said on Friday. Several Chinese fishing vessels transmitted fake automatic identification system (AIS) signals in Taiwan’s waters last month, with one mimicking a Russian warship and another impersonating a Chinese law enforcement vessel, the report said. Citing data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the report said that throughout August and last month, the Chinese fishing boat Minshiyu 06718 (閩獅漁06718) sailed through the Taiwan Strait while intermittently transmitting its own AIS
CHINESE INFILTRATION: Medical logistics is a lifeline during wartime and the reported CCP links of a major logistics company present a national security threat, an expert said The government would bolster its security check system to prevent China from infiltrating the nation’s medical cold chain, a national security official said yesterday. The official, who wished to stay anonymous, made the remarks after the Chinese-language magazine Mirror Media (鏡周刊) reported that Pharma Logistics (嘉里醫藥物流) is in charge of the medical logistics of about half of the nation’s major hospitals, including National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital. The company’s parent, Kerry TJ Logistics Co (嘉里大榮物流), is associated with the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the