The curtain was drawn on the National Assembly yesterday as the term of the third assembly of deputies expired and members put their trademark label of being a "constitutional monster" behind them.
From today, the National Assembly will take on its new status as a non-standing body that will only convene for specific purposes, with its deputies appointed based on specific missions.
Above all, it has ceased to be a body with the proactive power to launch constitutional reforms -- a function that had earned the body the bad name of "constitutional monster."
PHOTO: SUNG CHI-HSING. LIBERTY TIMES
"All constitutional amendments must strike a balance between ideal and reality, though not to everyone's satisfaction," speaker Chen Ching-jang (
The Assembly has launched a total of six constitutional reforms over the past decade, and a major factor blamed for the high frequency of reforms has been a 1992 amendment that changed the session interval from every six years to once a year.
Among the reforms, many were related to the adjustment of the governmental structure. These included introducing direct elections for legislators, National Assembly deputies, president and local government chiefs; streamlining the hierarchy of the government; changing the governmental system to become one similar to a "semi-presidency"; and lastly, marginalizing the Assembly itself.
However, critics have argued that most of the reforms were launched for improvised political purposes, and some were contradictory. Despite the criticism, Chen said he needed to provide some clarification to do justice to the Assembly.
"All six reforms were consistent with the needs of the nation and demands of public opinion," Chen said. "They carried out Taiwan's democracy and upgraded the government's administrative efficiency."
In particular, the Assembly amended the Constitution to marginalize itself, saving the spending needed for regular re-election, Chen said.
Former speaker Fredrick Chien (
"Many of the public perceptions about the National Assembly are unfair," Chien said.
Chien said the Assembly deserves public approval in light of the accomplishments that it left behind.
Following its marginalization, the remaining functions the Assembly will be to vote on constitutional amendments and national boundary changes proposed and passed by the Legislative Yuan by a three-quarters majority.
The proposals again require a three-quarters majority to obtain the Assembly's ratification before the changes are written into the Constitution.
The other function of the Assembly will be to vote on a motion to impeach the president or vice president which would have to be initiated and passed by the legislature by a two-thirds majority. It must win another two-thirds majority of support in the Assembly to succeed.
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