A "legislative reform alliance" was formed yesterday led by DPP lawmaker Lin Feng-hsi (
The alliance proposes that the number of legislative seats be reduced from 225 to 146, and the terms of legislators should be extended from three to four years.
As it would be the task of the next session of legislators to promote the reforms, the changes would not take effect for another two terms.
Lin estimated that the reduction in legislative seats would save Taiwan NT$4.4 billion in national spending on salaries and benefits and NT$20 billion in campaign expenditures annually.
"We want the legislature to become an efficient and respectable organization, unlike the constant target of criticism and national shame it is today," said Lin, convener of the DPP legislative caucus.
Lin said that the alliance will invite all candidates running in the year-end legislative elections to join them regardless of their political affiliations, and make this issue a theme of their election campaigns.
While the candidates should make a promise to pass the constitutional amendments within one year after they are elected, voters can launch a movement to recall the lawmakers in case they fail, Lin added.
In other measures put forth by the group, the alliance proposed amending the Public Officials Election and Recall Law (公職人員選舉罷免法) to change the electoral system to a "single-member district, two votes" system. Presently, due to the number of legislators per district, candidates can win with a relatively small number of votes.
It also proposed amending the Law Governing Legislators' Exercise of Power (
In response to the proposals, opposition lawmakers yesterday criticized the DPP for using the issues to boost the party's legislative election campaigns, though they said they are supportive of measures to reform the legislature.
Lee Cheng-chong (李正宗), whip of the KMT legislative caucus, said the KMT has long studied plans for legislative reform, and the proposals put forth by the DPP yesterday were nothing new.
"The DPP is simply trying to create issues for the elections. They don't really intend to conduct any deep discussion to resolve problems," Lee said.
Lee urged the DPP to concentrate its efforts on improving the economy, which is a more urgent job now, and not to keep raising one political issue after another.
Lee said constitutional reform will not be easy to achieve, because any amendment passed by the legislature still needs to obtain the National Assembly's ratification before it can be put into force.
Chou Hsi-wei (
In terms of constitutional reform, there should be a comprehensive plan to resolve all other problems with the constitutional framework, Chou said.
Cheng Long-shui (
Cheng pointed out that the second term of the elected legislature between 1992 and 1995 had only 125 seats, but it was no more efficient than the sitting legislature.
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