DPP and TSU lawmakers said the two parties will focus on passing the proposed statute governing the disposition of assets improperly obtained by political parties (
While the DPP argued that the position held by the KMT and PFP on the statute will be a litmus test on whether the parties will cooperate, the TSU threatened to shut down negotiations if the draft is not listed on the legislative agenda.
The statute, which would empower the government to investigate and confiscate assets that have been unlawfully obtained by political parties, is seen by the KMT as a proposal deliberately designed to divest it of its party assets.
TSU legislative whip Chien Lin Hui-chun (
She blasted the KMT for lacking sincerity over reform after the statute was struck from the agenda in the previous legislative session due to the KMT's opposition.
DPP legislative leader Chen Chi-mai (
Chen urged the two major opposition parties to seek a common ground regarding the issue since the PFP supports the proposal, but the KMT does not.
KMT Legislator Tseng Yung-chuan (
Tseng said the KMT has agreed to place its party assets in a trust, to stop running business enterprises, and is aware of the need to regulate party assets.
But he argued the statute is unnecessary because the goal could be achieved through the proposed political party law (
He warned that the DPP could be responsible for disrupting cross-party harmony if it insists on raising controversial initiatives.
The DPP and the TSU also vowed to jointly push for the passage of the proposed national technology protection law (國家科技保護法) and amendments to the Constitution for legislative reform.
Meanwhile, TSU Legislator Chen Chien-ming (
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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