Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators expressed conflicting opinions on the necessity of filling the vacant seats at the Control Yuan after the appointment of 11 candidates was rejected by the legislature in 2014.
In July 2014, the legislature approved the appointment of 18 Control Yuan members, including Control Yuan President Chang Po-ya (張博雅) and Control Yuan Vice President Sun Ta-chuan (孫大川), but rejected 11 of the nominees, who the DPP said formed “the worst roster in history.”
Then-DPP spokesman Huang Di-ying (黃帝穎) said at the time that a new set of candidates should be nominated by the next president and they should be approved by the next legislature to establish a constitutional convention that the institution can have members who are nominated by different presidents.
Huang also said that the DPP supports the constitutional framework of a three-branched government instead of five and called for the Control Yuan to be abolished.
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) renominated the 11 candidates in September 2014, but one of the candidates, Bert Lim (林建山), was discovered by DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) to have a fake doctoral degree and Lim turned down the nomination.
The confirmation vote for the 11 candidates was never taken to the legislative floor.
DPP Legislator Tsai Yi-yu (蔡易餘) said it has been the DPP’s goal to amend the Constitution and abolish the Control Yuan and the Examination Yuan, but added that it is almost impossible.
He said that as the Constitution requires the existence of the two branches, he hopes President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) would make the 11 Control Yuan nominations.
DPP Legislator Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸) said that as long as the government operates the “five-power” system, the president could nominate non-partisan and independent people to establish a convention that no president, regardless of party affiliation, can dismantle.
However, Kuan said the Control Yuan had attempted to use its power to influence the elections, but such interference is getting less effective and inconsequential.
She called for inaction over the nominations, for the 11 open positions and any other seats that would become available as sitting members’ terms expire, to have the Control Yuan “exist only in name,” adding that it would also help the government save money.
DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said he supports abolishing the two branches and has proposed amending the Constitution to that end, adding that he does not think there is a need to make Control Yuan nominations.
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