Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers waged a war of words yesterday as they accused each other of slowing down or blocking the Assembly and Parade Law (集會遊行法) revision process.
The legislature’s Internal Administration Committee had been scheduled to review draft amendments submitted by both parties yesterday.
However, DPP caucus whip William Lai (賴清德) protested when KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇), the committee’s convener, said the legislature should wait for the Cabinet to propose its own draft amendment and hold a public hearing next Thursday.
PHOTO: CHIEN JUNG-FONG, TAIPEI TIMES
“You’re trying to delay the [law revision] process by holding yet another public hearing next week,” Lai said.
“We should start an article-by-article review after a general discussion today,” he said.
Wu disagreed, saying that the goal of a public hearing was “to hear opinions from different people, including the Wild Strawberries,” in a bid to improve the quality of the amendment.
The “Wild Strawberry Movement” refers to a group of college students staging a silent sit-in protest at Liberty Square in Taipei since Nov. 6. Their demands include revision of the law.
“If the DPP is opposed to a public hearing, then you should go out and tell the Wild Strawberries,” Wu said.
The dispute intensified when DPP lawmakers accused the KMT of having a long history of blocking revisions to the law.
“During a meeting in 2006 over which you, Wu Yu-sheng, presided, you tried to block the Assembly and Parade Law amendment process,” Lai said.
“I’ve always respected you, Legislator Lai, but as a politician, you should not lie,” Wu shouted back.
“Yes, there was a public hearing in 2006, and yes, I presided over the meeting — but it was the DPP that opposed an article-by-article review [of the Assembly and Parade Law] afterwards,” Wu said.
Several DPP and KMT lawmakers joined their colleagues in the debate, but the two sides failed to reach a consensus, leaving the Assembly and Parade Law amendment process stalled.
Later, a few KMT legislators including Wang Jin-shih (王進士) expressed concern that revising the Assembly and Parade Law might result in too many protests.
If the requirement for event organizers to seek approval from law enforcement authorities before holding a rally is rescinded, “then there may be demonstrations every day, which could lead to social unrest,” Wang said.
“As long as people don’t open their minds, and bear hatred in their minds, they will take it to the street every day,” Wang added.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS