We want unbiased prosecutors: PFP

Complaining judiciary was partisan, the People First Party (PFP) legislative caucus yesterday proposed to amend the Organic Law of the Judicial Yuan (司法院組織法) to allow the State Public Prosecutor-General to assign an independent prosecutor or task force to handle major cases.

The amendment would require that candidates for the post of prosecutor-general be nominated by the president and approved by the Legislative Yuan. Appointees would be restricted to one five-year term.

The PFP caucus claimed that more than 500 prosecutors had signed a petition demanding that an independent prosecutorial system be established.

"The government has wrongly given priority to several cases. The important and urgent cases are not speedily dealt with, yet the minor cases are getting immediate attention," PFP Legislator Pang Chien-kuo (龐建國) said.

"We must ask whether prosecutors are coming under pressure -- so their neutrality is questionable. It is urgent that we establish an independent prosecutorial system," Pang said.

PFP Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋) said that many pan-blue supporters were prosecuted after the election while pan-green supporters had seemingly been given the all-clear. Chou said that even media outlets had been prosecuted by the government.

"While [PFP Legislator] Chiu Yi's (邱毅) case was expedited, former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) was still only summoned as a witness in the National Security Bureau case. This shows that the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] administration is protecting its supporters and suppressing its opponents," Chou said.

PFP Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄) accused the DPP of creating "green terror" by prosecuting pan-blue supporters.

"The DPP government has been prosecuting pan-blue supporters, even film stars Brigitte Lin (林青霞) and Jackie Chan (成龍). A DPP legislator has even attempted to boycott Chan's movie and suppress freedom of speech. This is not something we agree with," Liu said.

Liu the PFP's feeling that political prosecutions were taking place emerged after PFP legislators Feng Ting-kuo (馮定國) and Lee Ching-hua (李慶華) were interviewed by prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Assembly and Parade Law (集會遊行法).

Liu that Feng and Lee Ching-hua visited Central Election Commission Chairman Huang Shih-cheng (黃石城) after the commission announced President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) had been re-elected.

Liu they had done so only to suggest the commission had made the announcement illegally and that they were entitled to make the suggestion at the commission's premises.