Legislators failed to agree on the priority for the new legislative session yesterday, amid continuing confrontation between forces loyal and opposed to President Chen Shui-bian (
People First Party (PFP) Chairman James Soong (
Soong made the remarks in the legislature during the induction of the PFP's new caucus whip.
PHOTO: CHEN TSE-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
"If the people argue endlessly over the president's performance, take to the street and turn violent, it's the legislature's duty to force a referendum through to decide whether the president should stay on or leave office," Soong said.
recall
Soong urged the legislature to pass a second recall motion to give the people the right to decide whether Chen should be deposed.
"In a democracy, the problem of deposing the president is political, and should be resolved in the legislature, rather than on the street," Soong said.
A recall motion initiated by the PFP and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) failed to pass in June.
While saying that the KMT would cooperate with the PFP on a second recall motion this session, the head of the KMT's policy coordination department, Tseng Yung-chuan (
Meanwhile, KMT caucus whip Tsai Chin-lung (
"That includes the arms procurement bill, and the authorization bills for the president's nominee for state public prosecutor-general and Control Yuan members," Tsai said.
Legislator Yen Ching-piao (
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) stressed that he would maintain a neutral stance if the lawmakers attempted to topple the Cabinet through a no-confidence vote.
However, Wang said it would be "inappropriate" to topple the Cabinet through a no-confidence vote because there was no mechanism in place as yet to elect new legislators if Chen responded by dissolving the legislature.
A simple majority of the legislature is all that is required to pass a no-confidence motion. Currently, the 220-seat legislature consist of 112 pan-blue lawmakers, 97 pan-greens and 11 independents.
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Lo Chih-ming (
DPP caucus whip Yeh Yi-ching (
DPP Legislator Lee Wen-chung (
disruption
Just before Su made his administrative report to the legislature yesterday, more than 30 red-clad KMT and PFP lawmakers held up banners and shouted slogans against the president.
"Step down, A-bian. Step down, Su Tseng-chang," they yelled.
These lawmakers said that Su should step down as well because he did not make good on his promise to reduce the crime rate within six months.
The protest did not last long before Wang announced a brief break and Su left the scene.
The red-clad legislators then tied a red ribbon around the microphone on the speaker's table. The legislative session resumed at 11:15am, when Su returned and gave his administrative report to the legislature.
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