Playing a minor but decisive role, independent lawmakers are the latest targets of the DPP government as it tries to win allies in the legislature.
There is a possibility that the DPP might be willing to help independent lawmakers form a caucus in the legislature in exchange for their support.
Independent lawmaker Kao Meng-ting (高孟定) said yesterday he had been told by officials from the Presidential Office that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) would assist in the formation of such a caucus.
A Presidential Office official, who declined to be named, confirmed that the Presidential Office has been keeping in close contact with the independent lawmakers.
However, the official denied that the Presidential Office has made any commitment to assist in the formation of a caucus.
According to the Standing Order of the Legislative Yuan, a caucus must consist of a minimum of eight members.
There are a total of 12 independent lawmakers in the current legislature, but five of them have opted to join a party-based legislative caucus, though they still maintain their status as independents.
These include Eugene Chao (
Besides Kao, those who have not joined any caucus are Tsai Hao (
Chiu and Hung were originally from the PFP and KMT, respectively, but they recently quit their parties.
It is still uncertain if the two will join the independent caucus.
Meanwhile, another potential member of the independent caucus is Wu Cheng-tien (
Without the backing of a caucus, independent lawmakers are excluded from inter-party negotiations and lack the leverage to vie for the convenership of legislative committees.
Sources said that President Chen hopes to group the independent lawmakers together to become a force helpful to the DPP government if they, for some reason, could not join the DPP caucus.
The DPP has employed various methods to prevent the independent lawmakers from joining the rival KMT and PFP caucuses and has even encouraged KMT and PFP lawmakers to leave their parties, the sources added.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
Carrefour Taiwan is to begin using a new name from the start of July, but it cannot divulge the name until then, the chairman of the supermarket chain's parent company said today. President Chain Store Co chairman Lo Chih-hsien (羅智先) was asked by reporters after a shareholders' meeting to confirm whether the company has settled on a new name for the supermarket brand. In March, the government-registered name of two Carrefour Taiwan branches was quietly changed to "Le Chia Kang" (樂家康) in Chinese, raising speculation that has been selected as the name. Lo said that because of local regulations and contractual obligations, the
The Philippines would likely be involved in any conflict over Taiwan due to its proximity to the democracy claimed by China, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, reiterating a stance that risks angering Beijing. “In the Philippines, we do not have a choice because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan,” Marcos said in an interview with Japanese media in Manila on Monday. The Philippine leader’s comments come ahead of a state visit to Japan next week, where he is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss security
RSS