DPP leaders called on President Lee Teng-hui (
Such a conference should include all political groups, as well as scholars, to resolve the problem not only of the term extension issue, but the entire Constitution, the DPP said.
"In the past few months, people have not bothered to monitor the assembly. Now it has caught our atte
ntion, so it is time to call such a conference," said DPP secretary-general Yu Shi-kun.
"It's time we reform the entire constitutional structure now, and all political parties should shoulder the responsibility for this mission," he said.
"The KMT controls over half the seats in the assembly, and Lee should not be duped by party delegates into destroying Tai-wan's Constitution," Yu said.
DPP Assembly leaders, meanwhile, said yesterday that the term extension amendment passed Saturday, together with the passage of a proportional representative system for the Assembly, has successfully contributed to carrying out the historical mission of parliamentary reform.
"To freeze the election of delegates will save plenty of social resources. We estimated that the elections cost around NT$25 billion each time, so by decreasing the number of assembly delegates we will also save government funds," said DPP assembly caucus leader Law I-teh (
Law stressed that people should value the hard-earned achievenments of parliamentary reform instead of focusing solely on the extended Assembly term.
"The DPP has been working on abolishing the Assembly in the last decade. Now we finally enter into the first stage. Even the President knew of our purpose and did not oppose it," Law said.
Law revealed that two major party caucus leaders negotiated in private to cooperate with passing this amendment but the KMT dropped out. Therefore they visited Shi Wen-lung (
"Shi promised to fax our proposal draft to the Presidential Office. And Shi told us that President Lee expressed neither support nor opposition to it. We understand that the President respects the Assembly's responsibilities and does not want to intervene in the constitutional amendment procedures," Law said.
The Presidential Office, in a press release yesterday evening, said it had not received a fax from Shi but the President did not made any comment about it.
DPP secretary-general Yu verified further yesterday that the DPP has many channels to communicate with the ruling party, even with the President.
"Some people who are not in the political circle are willing to help the DPP to relay our message to national leaders. But we cannot publicize their names to block those channels," Yu said.
Meanwhile, one of the party's faction leaders Chang Chun-hung (
"Only Lee Teng-hui has the power and determination to accomplish the constitutional reform disinterestedly. I think he will carry out the reform mission before ending his term next May," Chang said.
Chang also said that the DPP and KMT leaderships knew this. But DPP secretary-general Yu and chairman Lin I-hsiung (
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