The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday said it will back the Executive Yuan in pushing the opposition-controlled legislature to reconsider two controversial bills that cleared the legislative floor last Friday.
DPP Chairman Yu Shyi-kun said the party's Central Standing Committee passed a resolution at its weekly meeting on Wednesday to throw support behind the Executive Yuan's plan to ask the legislature to reconsider amendments to the Farmers' Association Law (農會法) and the Fishermen's Association Law (漁會法), which critics said would pave the way for "a return of black-gold politics."
The amendments initiated by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the People First Party would cancel the three-term caps for secretaries-general in the associations and lower requirements for them to renew their employment.
The revised laws also stipulate that association staff standing trial would not be relieved of their jobs until a final verdict is delivered in their cases.
Under the existing laws, indicted staff members from the associations would be fired from their posts following conviction in the second part of a criminal trial.
Yu said the revisions are an attempt by the pan-blue alliance to cement ties with the associations.
With the amendments, Yu said, that 95 percent of the current secretaries-general -- whose loyalty traditionally lies with the KMT -- would be able to dominate their organizations indefinitely, despite the fact many have criminal records.
Yu said that more than 20 executives or staff members of the associations have been convicted of criminal activity as of this month.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
RSS