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Disposal act delayed after spat

Angry Chinese Television System (CTS) workers stage a protest yesterday in front of the Legislative Yuan to complain about the Government Information Office's idea to relocate CTS to southern Taiwan. PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUEI, TAIPEI TIMES

The approval of the Handling of Government-owned Shares of the Terrestrial TV Stations Act (無線電視事業公股處理條例) was delayed at the legislature yesterday after the party caucuses failed to reach a consensus during cross-party negotiations.

The act, the main function of which is to regulate the release of government holdings in terrestrial TV stations, was scheduled to be reviewed on the legislative floor yesterday morning and was expected to be approved.

However, Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) lawmakers insisted that the military-affiliated Liming Foundation (黎明基金會), which owns about 25 percent of Chinese Television System (CTS), be disbanded.

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People First Party (PFP) lawmakers opposed this move and as a result, the review and approval of the act was postponed.

"We will reschedule the act for discussion and review it again next Friday," said Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平).

Led by TSU Legislator Ho Min-hao (何敏豪), TSU lawmakers insisted that the foundation must be disbanded and that its assets should belong to the government. But their suggestions were opposed by KMT and PFP lawmakers.

"We will reschedule the act for discussion and review it again next Friday."

Wang Jin-pyng, legislative speaker

Government Information Office Minister Pasuya Yao (姚文智) said that he was sorry to see the legislature postpone the act because the delay will impact on government plans, especially the processing of the release of government holdings in terrestrial TV stations.

"This act has been pending on the legislative floor since June 24 last year. But lawmakers did not do anything about it until Oct. 17 this year, when we began complaining that the delay may affect our disposal plans," Yao said.

In related news, the legislature yesterday agreed to review the nominations for the 13 members of the new National Communications Committee on Jan. 12.

Legislative Deputy Speaker Chung Jung-chi (鍾榮吉) said the 13 nominees will be approved as long as half of the lawmakers present authorize them.

In other developments, TSU Legislator Lo Chi-ming (羅志明) and Democratic Progressive Party legislators yesterday criticized United Microelectronics Corp Chairman Robert Tsao's (曹興誠) remarks, after he called Taiwan a mess.

"[Tsao] should think about it. How could his company earn so much money if Taiwan is such a mess?" Lo said.
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