Print

Mail

wiki links

KMT caucus vows action on reform

The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday vowed to take "substantial" action in the near future in response to calls for parliamentary reform by president-elect Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and the public.

KMT caucus acting Secretary-General Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) and Deputy Secretary-General Chang Sho-wen (張碩文) told a press conference that the caucus would take concrete steps in response to Ma's suggestion on Wednesday that the party turn a "clean politics" agreement signed by all KMT legislative candidates before January's legislative elections into a binding regulation for all party members.

Hsieh said the caucus was "actively" working on anti-corruption "sunshine bills" and other proposals that aim to improve people's living standards and regulate the behavior of legislators.

He promised that the caucus would submit the proposals in the near future.

Hsieh made the comments after Ma held a meeting with his aides at KMT headquarters on Wednesday evening.

Ma's spokesman Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) said after the meeting that Ma had suggested that the party turn the integrity agreement signed by KMT legislators into a formal regulation for all KMT members and that anyone who violated the regulation should either lose the party's nomination or be replaced.

The agreement signed by all KMT legislative candidates prior to the Jan. 12 legislative elections states that legislators should not be involved in illegal lobbying, avoid any conflict of interest and should actively push the sunshine bills.

Ma's suggestion came after several KMT legislators had been criticized for pushing bills that served only the interests of their own electoral districts following the presidential election.

Hsieh said yesterday that the caucus understood the public's expectations for the Legislative Yuan and its dissatisfaction with the lawmaking body. He urged the public to give the caucus time to implement congressional reform.
This story has been viewed 1556 times.