The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) yesterday nominated nine members to a committee investigating the March 19 assassination attempt, while the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its ally Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) refused to participate.
According to the March 19 Shooting Truth Investigation Special Committee Statute (三一九槍擊事件真相調查特別委員會條例), the committee must consist of 17 members drawn from outside the legislature, the Control Yuan or other government agencies and state-run businesses.
Based on legislative proportions, the DPP can appoint six members, the KMT five, the PFP four, the TSU one and the Non-Partisan Solidarity Union (NPSU) one.
All the nominees must be finalized and appointed by President Chen Shui-bian (
The nine members nominated by the pan-blue alliance include former Judicial Yuan president Shih Chi-yang (施啟揚), former Control Yuan members Wang Ching-feng (王清峰) and Chai Chung-chuan (翟宗泉), former Investigation Bureau director Wang Kuang-yu (王光宇), former grand justice Cheng Chien-tsai (鄭建才), former vice minister of national defense Chen Chao-mi (陳肇敏) and former representative to the US Stephen Chen (陳錫蕃).
The others are Fang Chung-min (方中民), a consultant to the Ministry of Justice's Institute of Forensic Medicine and Yu Yue-tang (
The NPSU nominated attorney Luo Ming-tung (
The DPP and TSU have made it clear that they will not take part in the committee because they believe the legislation establishing it is unconstitutional and tramples on the authority of judicial and prosecutorial officials.
DPP legislative caucus convenor Ker Chien-ming (
DPP Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (
The KMT and the PFP also suggested yesterday that the commission hold its first meeting next Monday.
Tseng Yung-chuan (
PFP Legislator Chou Hsi-wei (
"I hope President Chen and the DPP aren't afraid of nominating committee members since they're in favor of an investigation committee, albeit one led by Control Yuan President Fredrick Chien (
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