A top agriculture official yesterday traded barbs with a female lawmaker in a legislative committee meeting where both challenged each other to resign from office over impolite conduct.
Fan Chen-tsung (范振宗), chairman of the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture, angrily told PFP lawmaker Ko Shu-ming (柯淑敏) to quit her post after Ko criticized Fan as ignorant but eager to be an official.
"You have no right to demand my resignation," said Fan, addressing the PFP legislator during an Economics and Energy Committee meeting. "Go ask Premier Yu Shyi-kun to sack me. I will immediately pack my stuff and leave if my services are no longer desired."
The official, known for his blunt temperament, then left the podium mumbling, "It is you who should resign. How can a woman treat others so rudely?"
The remarks inflamed Ko, who shouted back, "How dare you ask me to step down? I won my seat through popular elections."
The verbal conflict erupted when Ko grilled Fan over the government's ongoing campaign to reform the credit departments of farmers' and fishermen's associations across the nation.
The legislator pressed the agriculture head to shed light on the magnitude of financial losses incurred by those government-owned institutions, among other things.
"How serious are their financial problems and how much money will it take to set up a national agriculture bank?" Ko asked Fan.
Fan said he was not clear on the subject because the cooperatives at issue fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance.
Unconvinced, Ko pounded the table and called Fan lazy. "You might as well resign if you insist on being ignorant. Shame on you who know nothing at all except that you are an official," she said.
* A verbal conflict erupted when a lawmaker grilled the chairman of the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture over the government's campaign to reform the credit departments of farmers' and fishermen's associations.
* When the chairman couldn't answer her question, the lawmaker pounded her fist on a table and insulted him.
The two then engaged in feisty verbal exchanges. Other lawmakers who were present were quick to calm both sides, with committee chair Hsu Shu-po (許舒博) of the KMT calling a 10-minute recess.
Hsu later said he found it unbecoming of a Cabinet official to press the resignation of a lawmaker, but he promised to restrain fellow committee members who behave improperly when questioning officials.
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