A legislative committee meeting turned violent yesterday after pan-blue and pan-green lawmakers locked horns over whether to continue discussing proposed amendments to the Referendum Law (公民投票法).
Pan-green draft amendments to the law seek to preserve the president's constitutional right to initiate a "defensive referendum" during a national emergency.
Pan-blue draft amendments, on the other hand, seek to require that any presidential order to hold such a referendum be endorsed by the Legislative Yuan within 10 days of its issuance.
President Chen Shui-bian (
Asking voters whether China should remove its missiles targeting Taiwan and whether it should negotiate with China in fostering cross-strait peace, the referendum was widely seen as a flop because a voter turnout below 50 percent invalidated the results.
The pan-blue camp has slammed Chen for using the referendum to shore up support for his re-election bid and manipulate the 2004 presidential election.
"What countries aside from Taiwan allow its president to hold a referendum on a whim?" Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) asked Vice Minister of the Interior Lin Mei-chu (林美珠) during yesterday's Home and Nations legislative committee meeting.
Plugging the Cabinet's draft amendment, which also seeks to preserve the president's authority to call a snap referendum, Lin replied that Taiwan's "special situation" vis-a-vis China justified the need for such a presidential power.
"Only our country is threatened in such a way by China," Lin said.
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator David Huang (黃適卓) said that "when our sovereignty is threatened by China, referendums are necessary to protect the nation."
Huang added that referendums promoted solidarity in the face of an outside threat, while allowing leaders to gauge the fears and needs of the people before formulating policies to safeguard national interests.
Pan-blue lawmakers disagreed.
"President Chen Shui-bian [陳水扁] used a referendum to hijack the presidential election, which he sealed with two bullets," People First Party (PFP) Legislator Feng Ting-kuo (馮定國) said. "We're worried that such referendums will be used to influence future elections, which is why we want to have the legislature weigh in on such decisions."
A shouting match between pan-green and pan-blue lawmakers then erupted over the procedures involved in hashing out seven different draft amendments to the Referendum Law.
What was originally a verbal clash quickly took a turn for the physical when DPP legislator Kao Chien-chih (高建智) snatched the KMT's draft amendment from KMT Legislator Chu Fong-chi (朱鳳芝).
Kao taunted Chu by holding it over the KMT lawmaker as she jumped up in an attempt to snatch it back. Kao then passed the crumpled bill off to DPP Legislator Jao Yung-Ching (
At that point, Chu tackled Jao and both hit the floor with a thud that shook the room.
DPP Legislator Hsieh Hsin-ni (
The committee chairman, Non-Partisan Solidarity Union (NSU) Legislator Tsai Hau (蔡豪), struggled to call for a vote to adjourn the meeting prematurely because of the aggressive atmosphere, but pan-green lawmakers gagged him with their hands, shouting: "Continue the discussion!"
After some struggle, Tsai, a staunch KMT ally, hastily called an end to the meeting and raced out.
The seven draft amendments to the law will continue to be discussed in the committee until one version can be agreed on, at which point that version will advance to the floor for a final vote.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their