The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday voted with its majority in the legislature’s Procedure Committee to have what it called the “long-stalled” legislation to establish an oversight mechanism for cross-strait talks put on the legislative agenda. The opposition’s delaying tactics show that its call for oversight was an excuse to oppose the cross-strait service trade agreement, the KMT added.
The committee yesterday passed a KMT legislative agenda that placed the review of the oversight bill on the agenda after draft amendments to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法) — the top priority.
If passed on the floor on Friday, the reconsideration of the bill would have KMT Legislator Wu Yu-sheng (吳育昇), convener of next week’s committee meeting, preside over deliberation on Monday.
KMT acting caucus whip Alex Fai (費鴻泰) said economic development should not be stalled “because of objections from a few people.”
“The student and civil groups objected to the service pact and asked for a cross-strait negotiation oversight mechanism. Both the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the KMT agreed. However, while the KMT wants a deliberation of the bill, [the DPP] is trying to have it mothballed,” he said.
DPP Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said she is against placing the “highly controversial” oversight bill high on the legislative agenda when the public is most concerned about legislative amendments related to food safety.
“I’m deeply doubtful of the necessity and the appropriateness of the timing of placing it high on the legislative agenda now,” Hsiao said.
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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