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DPP urges Ma to make good on pledge

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus yesterday urged Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to make good on his promise to push for the passage of "sunshine bills."

On Wednesday, Ma vowed during a KMT Central Standing Committee meeting that his party would push the "sunshine bills" and pass related bills in September when the new legislative session opens.

In response, DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) yesterday held a press conference urging Ma to stick to his promises.

Ker called on Ma to order KMT lawmakers not to boycott these laws in the Procedure Committee.

"Ma may not understand that KMT lawmakers have been blocking the `sunshine bills' for the past few years, and we are glad to see that Ma is finally willing to deal with the laws that could do something about the KMT's stolen assets," Ker said.

The "sunshine bills" refer to a series of proposed anti-corruption laws, namely, draft laws on the disposition of assets improperly obtained by political parties, a lobbying bill, a bill covering political parties, a statute governing the Ministry of Justice's anti-corruption bureau, amendments to the Act on Property Declaration by Public Servants (公職人員財產申報法), the Legislators' Conduct Act (立法委員行為法) and the Public Officials Election and Recall Law (公職人員選舉罷免法).

"If Ma could allow the passage of the statute on the disposition of assets improperly obtained by political parties, real political reconciliation would eventually take place," Ker said.

DPP spokesman Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said the DPP had waited for six years for a positive response from the KMT regarding the "sunshine bills."

The DPP hoped that Ma would carry out his promise and enable the passage of the laws when the new legislative session starts in September, Tsai said.

DPP strategy

Meanwhile, DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun yesterday said that a provisional nomination systemwould enable the party to respond immediately to any move by the opposition to initiate a no-confidence vote against the premier.

Yu told the DPP's legislative caucus that "this will make the opposition think twice" before calling for a confidence vote, and would also significantly reduce the strategy's chance of success.

During a meeting of the DPP's Central Executive Committee on Wednesday, the party adopted a provisional nomination system to prepare for a scenario in which the legislature is dissolved after a successful no-confidence vote against Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌).

Yu said that unless preparations were made in advance, many legislators might be caught off-guard because a new election must be held within 60 days and only those who have registered their household in a constituency for at least four months are qualified to run there.

In addition, starting from the next legislature, the number of seats in the Legislative Yuan will be reduced from the current 225 to 113, Yu added.

He said that the party would decide on its legislative candidates using opinion surveys.

After failing to recall President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) over alleged corruption scandals surrounding his in-laws and close aides last month, the People First Party (PFP) is planning to make a second attempt to recall Chen when the legislature begins its next session in late September.

In addition, the PFP is also considering whether to launch a no-confidence vote against Su.

The PFP and its pan-blue ally the KMT initiated a motion to recall Chen last month, but the motion failed to get the necessary support of a two-thirds majority in the legislature.
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