Lawmakers across party lines called for the abolition of the Control Yuan after its members decided not to impeach Prosecutor-General Huang Shih-ming (黃世銘) on Thursday for allegedly leaking details of an ongoing investigation to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), accusing them of succumbing to their personal ambition to be renominated as members by the president next year.
A tied vote in the Control Yuan resulted in the defeat of a motion to impeach Huang for his role in a political storm over wiretapping lawmakers that involves the president and Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平).
The current Control Yuan members’ six-year term is set to expire on July 31 next year.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said it was natural that the Control Yuan would obey Ma’s orders since its members were nominated by the president with the consent of the legislature, which has become nothing but an extension of Ma’s will.
“When it comes to a case implicating Ma, what more can we expect from such an obedient agency other than unprincipled protection and a cover up?” Lee said.
DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said the outcome was anticipated, given Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien’s (王建煊) moves to blame Wang for the so-called September political strife while sending a floral basket to Huang.
DPP Legislator Pan Men-an (潘孟安) said the Control Yuan lost its credibility long ago because it only targeted “flies” not “tigers.”
“Who would risk jeopardizing their chances of being renominated to crack down on the ‘criminal gang’ of Ma, Huang and [Premier] Jiang [Yi-huah, 江宜樺],” Pan said.
The legislature’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee convener Wu Yi-chen (吳宜臻) said a government watchdog that was incapable of impeaching a prosecutor-general guilty of dereliction and abuse of power should be dissolved.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Ken-te (陳根德) said that the Control Yuan’s decision fell short of public expectation, urging it not to take the people for fools.
KMT Legislator Liao Cheng-ching (廖正井) said that Huang should take a leave of absence during the period of his trial for allegedly leaking classified information related to an ongoing investigation.
Meanwhile, the Judicial Reform Foundation said Huang was no longer fit to be prosecutor-general after his indictment on charges of leaking classified information earlier this month and that Control Yuan members should launch a second motion to impeach him to quash criticism that they were too wary of not being renominated to act.
Separately yesterday, KMT spokesman Yang Wei-chung (楊偉中) dismissed accusations that Ma was behind the Control Yuan’s failure to impeach Huang.
Additional reporting by Hsiang Cheng-chen and Mo Yan-chih
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