In what appears to be a move aimed at damage control after the National Assembly's vote to extend its term by two years until June 2002, DPP heavyweights declared yesterday that their party's deputies should abandon their statutory rights to salaries after their original term ends in May 2000.
Leaders from three major party factions reached a consensus during weekend talks, and say they will present the plan to the party's weekly Central Standing Committee on Wednesday.
The assembly passed an amendment by two major parties to extend terms of delegates and legislators as well as add the full proportional representative system for the next assembly, introduced by DPP assembly caucus leader Law I-teh (
After the vote, many DPP deputies have been bombarded with complaints from constituents, asking why the DPP supported the term extension amendment, and blaming the party for betraying the party's reform image.
"We have to prove that DPP assembly delegates only wanted to carry out assembly reform, and not because they wished to benefit themselves," said Wu Nai-jen (
Wu also stressed that the party should clarify its position to allow people to understand what DPP deputies would actually do during the extended term.
New Era faction head Chen Zau-nan (
The party's presidential candidate, meanwhile, Chen Shui-bian (
"If President Lee is really willing to drive constitutional reform, he can carry out the task. I suggest a plebiscite be held along with the presidential election next March 18," said Chen.
Chen's spokesman, Lo Wen-chia (
Members of the Justice alliance faction, established by Chen in 1993, also stressed they would join the action to save the party's reformist image.
"All Justice Alliance delegates will give people our resolute promise to accomplish the parliament reform. And even legislators of my Faction, at least me and Sheng Fu-hsiung (
Members of the DPP's legislative caucus, meanwhile, said yesterday they planned to follow the advice of its current head, Chang Chun-hung (
Chang advocates that the Central Standing Committee should only encourage Assembly deputies to abandon their salary rights, but not to force them to accept it.
"They really contributed to the reform process. Therefore the party should reward them instead of punishing them," Chang said.
SILENCING CRITICS: In addition to blocking Taiwan, China aimed to prevent rights activists from speaking out against authoritarian states, a Cabinet department said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday condemned transnational repression by Beijing after RightsCon, a major digital human rights conference scheduled to be held in Zambia this week, was abruptly canceled due to Chinese pressure over Taiwanese participation. This year’s RightsCon, the world’s largest conference discussing issues “at the intersection of human rights and technology,” was scheduled to take place from tomorrow to Friday in Lusaka, and expected to draw 2,600 in-person attendees from 150 countries, along with 1,100 online participants. However, organizers were forced to cancel the event due to behind-the-scenes pressure from China, the ministry said, expressing its “strongest condemnation”
DELAYED BUT DETERMINED: The president’s visit highlights Taiwan’s right to international engagement amid regional pressure from China President Willaim Lai (賴清德) yesterday arrived in Eswatini, more than a week after his planned visit to Taiwan’s sole African ally was suspended because of revoked overflight permits. “The visit, originally scheduled for April 22, was postponed due to unforeseen external factors,” Lai wrote on social media. “After several days of careful arrangements by our diplomatic and national security teams, we successfully arrived today.” Lai said he looked forward to further deepening Taiwan-Eswatini relations through closer cooperation in the economy, agriculture, culture and education, as well as advancing the nation’s international partnerships. The president was initially scheduled to arrive in time to celebrate
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) yesterday said the US faced a choice between an “impossible” military operation or a “bad deal” with Tehran, after US President Donald Trump disparaged Iran’s latest peace proposal. Negotiations between the two countries have been deadlocked since a ceasefire came into effect on April 8, with only one round of direct peace talks held so far. Iran’s Tasnim and Fars news agencies reported that Tehran had submitted a 14-point proposal to mediator Pakistan, but Trump was quick to cast doubt on it. “I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but
A group affiliated with indicted Chinese immigrant Xu Chunying (徐春鶯) is to be dissolved for monitoring Chinese immigrants in Taiwan, a source said yesterday. Xu, the secretary-general of the Cross-Strait Marriage and Family Service Alliance, was indicted on March 24 on charges of violating the Anti-Infiltration Act (反滲透法). The alliance “illegally monitored" Chinese immigrants living in Taiwan on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Ministry of the Interior is expected to dissolve the organization in the coming days under provisions of the Civil Associations Act (人民團體法), the source said. Xu, who married a Taiwanese in 1993 and became a Republic
RSS