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PFP wants amendment giving lawmakers investigative powers

Chao Yu-chu -- father of President Chen Shui-bian's son-in-law -- presses the entry buzzer to the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office yesterday where he filed defamation lawsuits against Independent Legislator Chiu Yi and political commentator Hu Chung-hsin. PHOTO: CNA

The People First Party (PFP) caucus yesterday proposed amending the law to empower lawmakers to exercise the right of investigation, including summoning the president, in order to probe the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corp (KRTC) scandal.

PFP caucus whip Hwang Yih-jiau (黃義交) said the caucus plans to file a motion during the Nov. 8 session to amend the Law Governing Legislators' Exercise of Power (立法院職權行使法) and push the amendment through to a second reading.

Hwang said the caucus has obtained the consent of Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) and endorsement of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus to forge ahead with the proposal.

The recent wave of scandals surrounding President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) friends had put Chen's credibility at risk and proved that he is no longer fit to run the country, Hwang said.

Both the president and former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Chen Che-nan (陳哲男) could be called to the legislature for questioning about their roles in the KRTC scandal after the amendment passes, Hwang said.

In response, the pan-green caucuses called on the PFP to support the confirmation of the president's Control Yuan nominees.

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Jao Yung-ching (趙永清) said while the legislature's duty is to make laws, the right of investigation of civil servants lies with the Control Yuan.

Although lawmakers have the power to summon civil servants and question them during the process of legislation or budget review, Jao said they must not abuse the right by trying to usurp the role of prosecutors.

DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (高志鵬) called the PFP proposal a joke.

Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus whip David Huang (黃適卓) said that while his caucus supports probing corruption cases and combating crime, the best remedy is to amend the Constitution and reduce the number of government branches from five to three.

Another TSU caucus whip, Legislator Kuo Lin-yung (郭林勇), said that although the Council of Grand Justices has ruled that lawmakers are entitled to exercise the right of investigation, it also ruled that such a practice must not violate the principle of separation of powers among branches of government.

Meanwhile, in response to media reports that Chen Che-nan and Chen Min-hsien (陳敏賢), former KRTC vice chairman were spotted sitting together at a casino table in a Seoul hotel on Nov. 2, 2002, the Presidential Office said it had no record of Chen Che-nan having asked for leave or traveling overseas in November 2002.

There had also never been any "inspection report on the foreign labor situation" allegedly presented to the president by Chen Che-nan, said Chen Wen-tsung (陳文宗), director of the office.

Chen Min-hsien said yesterday that he and Chen Che-nan did tour South Korea's Cheju Island in November 2002. He said the recent media reports only prove that the two men were "enjoying a legal recreational activity."

"Chen Che-nan and I are good friends. We went to a recreational area, purely for tourism. It's nothing. It has nothing to do with the KRTC scandal," he said.

Chen Che-nan issued a statement to the press last night admitting that he had made a trip to South Korea at the time in question. He apologized for visiting Cheju on a working day without notifying his superiors, but he reiterated that he was not involved in the KRTC scandal.

KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday that he "was not surprised at all" by the new evidence that has come out after the Kaohsiung City Government released its investigation report on the scandal.

He said the opposition parties hope there won't be any obstacles to future's investigations by prosecutors and courts.

In a related development, Chao Yu-chu (趙玉柱), the father of President Chen's son-in-law, filed defamation lawsuits at the Taipei Prosecutor's Office yesterday against Legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅).

Chiu has claimed that Chen Che-nan went to Thailand in November last year with a "retired school principal who is closely related to the Presidential Office" and that the principal is an "influential figure" in the KRTC scandal.

Chao Yu-chu is a retired principal.

Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih
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