Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) yesterday called a meeting of party caucus whips to discuss how to address a perceived flaw in the statutory mechanism for cross-party negotiation in the legislature that has been vulnerable to horse-trading and backroom deals.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Lin Hung-chih (林鴻池) has initiated a proposal to reform the cross-party negotiation mechanism, a phase of legislation prescribed under the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法).
Lin’s proposal came after Wang and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) were accused of being involved in an undue influence case that surfaced on Sept. 6.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
“Problems have emerged in the negotiation system that need to be addressed,” Lin said.
According to the rules, a bill which lawmakers do not agree on during a preliminary review by a legislative committee can only be put to a vote on the floor on second reading after the conclusion of a negotiation period. Although the law stipulates that this be capped at a month, it usually takes longer.
Some see the KMT’s proposal as a move to weaken Wang’s role in the legislature after it failed to remove him from the position of speaker as President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who also doubles as KMT chairman, reportedly wanted.
Although cross-party negotiation is not very opaque because it is open to every lawmaker, legislative assistant and sometimes officials, the DPP supports having audio and video recordings of cross-party negotiation meetings, Ker said.
Wang said it is an opportunity for lawmakers to review rules of procedures. However, he added that he was worried that the KMT’s proposal could compromise efficiency because putting a bill on which lawmakers remain strongly divided to a vote can complicate the situation more than having lawmakers iron out differences through negotiation first.
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
SILENT MAJORITY: Only 1 percent of Chinese rejected all options but war to annex Taiwan, while one-third viewed war as unacceptable, a university study showed Many Chinese are more concerned with developments inside their country than with seeking unification with Taiwan, al-Jazeera reported on Friday. Although China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary, 23-year-old Chinese Shao Hongtian was quoted by al-Jazeera as saying that “hostilities are not the way to bring China and Taiwan together.” “I want unification to happen peacefully,” Shao said. Al-Jazeera said it changed Shao’s name to respect his wish for anonymity. If peaceful unification is not possible, Shao said he would prefer “things to remain as they are,” adding that many of his friends feel
Taiwan has “absolute air superiority” over China in its own airspace, Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, amid concern over whether Taipei could defend itself against a military incursion by Beijing. Po made the remarks in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) on whether Taiwan would have partial or complete air superiority if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were to enter Taiwan’s airspace. Po, a retired pilot, said that the Taiwanese military has “absolute air superiority” over PLA
A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all