A draft statute authorizing an investigative committee into the March 19 shooting of President Chen Shui-bian (
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) legislative caucuses yesterday said that they supported Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng's (
Both caucuses reached agreement on the statute yesterday and declared their determination to push it through as early as possible, together with the condition that legislators be excluded from participating in the committee.
"We support the idea of handling the statute in the extra legislative sitting in late July, but the prerequisite is that Wang must convene cross-party negotiations first," said KMT caucus whip Tseng Yung-chuan (
But instead of requesting extra sittings later this month, the pan-blue caucuses proposed extra sittings from Aug. 16, the time when the statute can be put to a vote.
While Wang has stressed that only one investigative committee can be formed, the pan-blue caucuses have not ruled out the possibility of attempting to form two committees at the same time.
"We are still open to suggestions about how the committee members and how the committee chairman will be selected, and we will hold public hearings to gather different opinions on the issue," PFP Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄) said.
"Whether there will be two committees depends on how [Control Yuan President] Fredrick Chien (錢復) conducts [himself]. If he follows the statute passed by the legislature then there will be only one committee. If he chooses to act by the six principles mapped out by the president rather than the statute, then we will have two committees," KMT caucus whip Liao Feng-te (廖風德) said.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said his caucus was supportive of the pan-blue camp's suggestion to pass the statute as soon as possible to establish the committee.
Ker also reached agreement with Wang yesterday to hold cross-party negotiations on Monday morning to discuss extra legislative sittings and the bills to be handled in those sittings.
The DPP is likely to request that extra sittings be held late this month or early next month, he said.
LEGAL BASE
Meanwhile, Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (
Ma said that the government and the opposition should accelerate passage of the statute that would grant legitimacy and right of inquiry to the investigative committee.
Like the pan-blue caucuses, Ma suggested that legislators were not suitable for the committee, which should be made up of professionals and members of the Control Yuan.
"I urge the government to stop any action in relation to the committee before the special statute is created," Ma said. "The government should not obstruct or intervene in the establishment of the investigative committee, which would be disrespectful to the law and to the Legislative Yuan."
additional reporting by Jewel Huang
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