DPP, KMT pledge to nominate professionals to NCC

Both the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) vowed to recommend "truly professional and independent" experts to the National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday.

William Lai (賴清德), secretary general of the DPP legislative caucus, said his party will recommend "professional and independent" experts with a fresh image to the NCC so that it will operate according to the law.

If the opposition "pan-blue alliance" of the KMT and the People First Party (PFP) is found to be interfering in the operation of NCC, affecting its independence, Lai said, the DPP caucus will not exclude the possibility of requesting a constitutional interpretation of the NCC law which the president promulgated on Nov. 9.

The KMT is openly recruiting experts to the NCC.

Speaking the pan-blue alliance, KMT Central Policy Committee Executive Director Tseng Yung-chuan (曾永權) said his party welcomes all social groups to recommend competent and qualified people to become NCC members.

The KMT and PFP will "work together" in the hope that the NCC can officially start operation by the end of the year, Tseng said.

Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱), a KMT legislator, noted that besides professional competency, KMT recommendees must demonstrate resilience to fight political pressure.

"We will make sure that incidents like some Central Election Commission members succumbing to political pressure will not happen again," she said.

DPP Central Policy Committee Executive Director Ko Chien-ming (柯建銘) said his party has mainly been soliciting scholars to join the NCC. A candidates' list will likely be released next week, Ko added.

Under organic law of the NCC, party caucuses should recommend -- within 10 days after the law's promulgation -- 11 members to make up a NCC review committee, according to the percentage of seats each party holds in the legislature.

Within days, the review committee members will select 13 NCC members to make up the commission, out of 18 candidates recommended by political parties.

The Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) said it will not recommend any candidates for the NCC since it thinks the law is unconstitutional.

Ho Min-hao, convener of the TSU's legislative caucus, said his party is considering requesting the Council of Grand Justices make a constitutional ruling on the legality of the law next week.

In response to the TSU's plan, PFP legislative caucus convener Huang Yi-chiao said it did not matter whether the TSU recommended anyone or not.

The NCC can legally operate as long as seven members -- or more than half of the 13 members -- have been officially appointed by the premier, he said.

The review committee will vote to select the 13 members, who will automatically be appointed by the premier.