Representatives from civic groups yesterday urged the government to withdraw its proposed version of an oversight mechanism to monitor future cross-strait agreements.
Although a public hearing on the act was originally scheduled for yesterday, it was later replaced by an unofficial conference after Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) lawmakers on Tuesday launched a prolonged campaign to prevent the bill from reaching the Internal Administration Committee.
Economic Democracy Union convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) said the government’s version of the oversight bill lacked teeth, calling it nearly identical to a “four-stage communications and counseling mechanism” suggested by former premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) in March last year.
Lai said that the proposed bill required the government only to “explain” potential cross-strait treaties to the legislature, but it failed to grant the Legislative Yuan binding powers to monitor government actions.
“How can you present a public relations scheme as an oversight mechanism?” Lai asked, adding that the proposal presented no substantial changes to the government’s current “black box” methods for handling cross-strait affairs.
Lai demanded that the government withdraw its proposal, adding that all seven other proposals for the oversight mechanism were negotiable, including one version submitted by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
In response, Mainland Affairs Council Minister Andrew Hsia (夏立言) said that demands to withdraw the Executive Yuan’s version of the bill before the committee stage were “unfair” and “too arbitrary.”
Hsia added that any cross-strait oversight mechanism should be in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of China, adding that referring to China by its official title, the People’s Republic of China, would be unacceptable for any legislation as that would run against the Constitution.
There are eight versions of the proposed oversight mechanism pending reviews, including six put forward by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and one by KMT Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣).
Controversies over the oversight mechanism have simmered since the Sunflower movement protests in March and April last year, which included an extended occupation of the main legislative chamber by the student-led group after KMT Legislator Chang Ching-chung (張慶忠) attempted to push through a service trade agreement with China without legislative deliberation.
While Chang was originally scheduled to preside over yesterday’s conference, fellow KMT lawmaker Chiu Wen-yen (邱文彥) chaired in his place following opposition to Chang’s role by the DPP and TSU over the past week.
“I am Chiu Wen-yen, not Chang Ching-chung,” Chiu said before yesterday’s meeting adjourned at midday.
Negotiations on the issue should continue, Chiu added.
Additional reporting by CNA
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