The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) claim of being unfairly targeted by draft legislation on “illicit party assets” drew criticism from pan-green lawmakers, as tensions flared following the passage of the bill to cross-caucus negotiations on Wednesday.
“‘Starting an uprising’ should be about justice and the public, but the KMT is prepared to do that to protect its unjustly acquired assets,” New Power Party (NPP) Executive Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said on Wednesday, referring to KMT Administration and Management Committee deputy director Lee Fu-chuan’s (李福軒) remark that the KMT is prepared to “lead an uprising” if the draft bill leaves the party “naked and shoeless.”
The draft bill would create a commission under the Executive Yuan to investigate the assets of all parties established before the end of the Martial Law era, deeming “illicit” any asset that the parties cannot prove was acquired using party dues and subsidies, donations or other legal sources of revenue.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
“It is strange that one of the KMT’s slogans is ‘today party assets, tomorrow family assets,’ because there is no connection between the two. Is the KMT suggesting that some of the party assets had been transferred to some people’s families?” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wellington Koo (顧立雄) asked, brushing off the KMT’s claim that it had already cleared its balance sheet of “illicit assets.”
“How could a party that relies solely on dues, contributions and subsidies accumulate NT$20 billion [US$620.64 million at current exchange rates] in assets?” he asked.
KMT Administration and Management Committee director Chiu Da-chan (邱大展) said that the party would be treated as “guilty until proven innocent” under the bill as parties prepare for the extended ligation that is expected to follow the bill’s passage.
KMT Culture and Communications Committee director Chow Chi-wai (周志偉) said that Chiu, during Wednesday’s meeting of the KMT’s Central Standing Committee, said that the bill is aimed at “wiping out” the KMT by unconstitutionally forcing it to prove the legitimacy of the assets it legally acquired over 71 years.
By comparison, accounting rules only apply retroactively for up to 10 years and tax rules apply retroactively for a maximum of seven years, while land registration rules are applicable up to 15 years, Chiu said, adding that although no party would hold more than one-third of the seats on the committee to be established by the legislation, there are no guidelines about the minimum number of seats each party would have, allowing the DPP to act as a “referee in its own game” by nominating its supporters who are not party members.
He said that all KMT assets would likely be frozen following the act’s passage, shutting down party branches across the nation.
KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) said the party’s situation is “extremely serious,” with the Central Standing Committee passing a motion to establish a five-person committee to begin tallying party assets.
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