The Alliance of Citizens Monitoring the Legislative Yuan singled out 20 legislators yesterday for "paralyzing the legislative process."
Alliance members pointed out that the lawmakers' defiance of procedural rules on the legislative floor had sacrificed citizens' rights and interests. It called on the public to think twice before voting for any of the 20 individuals, all but one of whom are running for re-election in the up-coming legislative election.
"We held this press conference a few days before the legislative election to remind voters again to keep their eyes wide open before they cast their votes on Dec. 1," said Shane Lee (
Lee said that the list of names had been compiled from media reports, which the alliance regarded as evidence against the legislators.
When asked whether media reports could be regarded as sufficient evidence on which to make such charges, Lee said, "If these media reports were mistaken, why didn't the legislators come forward to correct them in the first place?"
On the basis of the media reports, the alliance claimed that the 20 legislators had taken advantage of their positions to further their personal and professional interests.
"For instance they either blocked certain bills for their own private interests and/or passed first and second readings of bills without the knowledge of the relevant legislative committees," Lee said
"Some of [these named legislators] had not avoided meetings in which there was a potential conflict of interest involving their private business interests, which they are required to do as legislators, and/or engaged in senseless arguments that paralyzed the legislative process and brought meetings to a deadlock," Lee said.
"That's why we're releasing this list for the public to use as a reference prior to the Dec. 1 elections," he said.
"It is to prevent these legislators from sacrificing the citizens' rights and interests again on the legislative floor in pursuit of their own private agenda and interests," he said
Lee, who is also the convener of the alliance, said the list was not targeted at specific political parties. "The alliance is not affiliated with any political party and has no political goals," Lee said.
"The sole purpose of the alliance is to hold the legislators accountable for their actions and to serve as a watchdog over the Legislative Yuan, which the media is calling the source of political chaos in Taiwan," he said.
KMT legislators on the list are Fung Hu-hsiang (
Legislators with the People First Party are Cheng Chin-ling (
Two New Party candidates made the list -- Chang Shih-liang (張世良) and Hsieh Chi-ta (謝啟大) -- as did two independents -- Liao Hsueh-kuang (廖學廣) and Tsai Hao (
Tsai Trong-rong (
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