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Presidential Office rejects speculation over state address

The Presidential Office yesterday dismissed speculation that President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was considering delivering a state of the nation address at the legislature.

Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chi (王郁琦) yesterday said “there was no such consideration at the moment.”

Wang made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions about a report in yesterday’s Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper).

The report said that Ma was “reconsidering” such an option and did not rule out doing so if it is arranged in accordance with the Constitution.

The report also said that the Presidential Office has asked the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus to look into the process of delivering a state of the nation address and legal aspects involved the issue.

Wang said yesterday that the Presidential Office had never made such remarks nor was it correct to make such assumptions.

On May 9, the legislature passed an amendment to the Law Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Exercise of Power (立法院職權行使法) that allows the legislature to invite the president to give a state of the nation address at the legislature each year.

It requires a quarter of all legislators to make such a petition and any proposal must be approved by the plenary legislative session. If approved, the Procedural Committee would then decide the date for the speech.

The president can also request the legislature’s permission to deliver such an address.
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