The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) said yesterday that it will propose a change to the Legislative Yuan's rules to prevent the speaker or vice speaker from concurrently serving in a party post or from engaging in party activities.
TSU caucus whip Liao Pen-yen (廖本煙) said that in previous administrations, this situation often gave rise to misgivings among the other parties that the speakers were more concerned about their own party's interests when presiding over legislative sessions.
Liao said the TSU has taken its cue from the examples of Japan, South Korea and France in deciding to make the proposal.
TSU Legislator Lo Chih-ming (羅志明) said the proposal has nothing to do with the Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng's (
Lo said that the TSU caucus respects Wang and hopes that he will help establish a model of neutrality in matters of the legislature.
Noting that Wang said in a recent speech that as a legislative speaker he has had to harmonize the KMT's central committee and legislative caucus as well as the caucuses of the other parties, and that sometimes "it is difficult to avoid being partial," Lo said Wang "should exercise propriety and be a role model during his term."
TSU Legislator Chen Chien-ming (陳建銘) said that the Examination Yuan, Judicial Yuan and Control Yuan all have regulations requiring that their speakers and vice speakers withdraw from party activities, and questioned why should the legislature be an exception.
TSU legislators said privately that they felt Vice Speaker Chiang Ping-kan (
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