With the new legislative session beginning today, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday listed as priorities amendments that would significantly extend the prohibition period for visits to China by former presidents, vice presidents, generals and political appointees.
The caucus’ draft amendment to the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法) seeks to extend the prohibition period for retired presidents and vice presidents from three years after their retirement to six years, while a draft amendment to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) aims to extend the period during which retired generals are barred from visiting China.
The DPP caucus’ prioritization of the bills for review drew protest from former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who last month said that he did not rule out visiting China after his three-year ban is lifted on May 20.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Ma’s office yesterday issued a statement criticizing the DPP, saying that attempting to push through the “unconstitutional” amendments was politicking, would aggravate ideological conflicts and would neglect legislation related to energy and people’s livelihoods.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) also blasted the plans to extend the prohibition periods for former officials, saying that they contravene the basic legal principle of respecting precedent and avoiding ex post facto lawmaking.
Arbitrarily lengthening the travel ban would set a bad example for following administrations, he said.
“If they do whatever they want, who is to say that the KMT will not lengthen the ban to 30 years for former officials?” Wu said.
DPP caucus director-general Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) denied that the proposed amendments target Ma and Wu, saying that they were designed to prevent the leaking of state secrets, such as the case of former army general Lo Hsien-che (羅賢哲), who was convicted for leaking military secrets to China from 2004 to 2011.
It is not certain that the amendments would be passed before May 20, he said.
Separately yesterday, when asked for comment on the prioritization of the bills and the intent of such a move, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said that the Cabinet would finalize its list of priority legislation after a meeting with DPP lawmakers on Monday next week.
The content of the Cabinet’s draft amendments to the two acts largely coincides with that of the caucus’ proposals, she said.
The Executive Yuan has drafted its own amendments because “national security allows no compromise,” she added.
Additional reporting by Jonathan Chin
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