Wed, Jun 03, 2009 page4

• KMT’s Tsai proposes exit bills

  REMOVING APPOINTEES Alex Tsai wants to make it easier to change the state public prosecutor-general as well as NCC members who lose confidence votes

  • By Flora Wang / STAFF REPORTER
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  Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Alex Tsai (蔡正元) yesterday proposed two bills to establish an exit mechanism for the state public prosecutor-general and National Communications Commission (NCC) members.

  Tsai said his proposed amendment to the Organic Act of Court Organization (法院組織法) would authorize the legislature to approve or reject a “no-confidence vote” proposed by the minister of justice should the minister have difficulty working with the state public prosecutor-general.

  Tsai said such an option was necessary because there had been a problem with the ranking of the justice minister and the state public prosecutor-general because of how they were nominated.

  

  National Communications Commission Chairwoman Bonnie Peng, right, speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday in response to a series of ads placed by the China Times Group accusing the commission of abusing its powers.

  PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

  The president nominates the state public prosecutor-general and the nomination is approved by the legislature, while the premier nominates the justice minister, whose appointment is approved by the president.

  Tsai’s proposal would require either the justice minister to either resign or propose a no-confidence vote to resolve a conflict with the prosecutor-general.

  Tsai’s proposed amendment to the Organic Act of the NCC (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) would introduce a similar mechanism for the commission’s chairman, vice chairman or members.

  Under this proposal, the chairman, vice chairman or NCC members would have to immediately tender their resignation to the premier after a no-confidence vote proposed by the premier or if one-fourth of the commission members wins the support of more than half of the members.

  Tsai said changes were needed to the NCC law because the commission’s handling of the China-based Want Want Group’s takeover of China Television Co (CTV) and CTiTV in the past two weeks was “controversial.”

  The commission approved the takeover last Wednesday but set several conditions, including barring the management, directors and supervisors from either TV station concurrently holding a similar position at the other station.

  The commission ruled that each network should have at least one independent board director without an affiliation to either the Want Want Group or the China Times Group, the two stations’ parent firm.

  The China Times Group was purchased by the Want Want Group last year.

  The NCC also stipulated that the two stations’ advertising, sales and programming departments must be separate, and each network must generate its own programming.

  In addition, the two networks are not allowed to jointly bid for advertising contracts.

  The China Times Group has accused the NCC of abusing its authority.

  For your information

  What Alex Tsai wants: • A vote of confidence in the state public prosecutor-general if one is called by the minister of justice. • A vote of confidence in National Communications Commission members if one is called by the premier.
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