Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Liao Kuo-tung (廖國棟) has demanded that he be paired with a higher-ranking counterpart within the party with whom he would hold discussions on decisions regarding policy and legislation.
Liao said he was seated next to the KMT Central Policy Committee deputy director at a recent party meeting, adding that he has told KMT Secretary-General Mo Tien-hu (莫天虎) that his counterpart for discussing the party’s direction on policy and legislation should have a higher rank than the Central Policy Committee director, otherwise it would signify that the party is downplaying the significance of the whip’s position within the party.
Liao’s election on July 7 as the KMT’s legislative caucus whip was the result of a power play within the party, in which legislators hoped to highlight the caucus’ importance, asking to directly elect the Central Policy Committee director.
KMT Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) denied the request, reportedly saying: “The caucus whip is of course the director of the Central Policy Committee,” forcing the legislators to settle for only electing the whip, while the whip’s powers and those of the Central Policy Committee director were disassociated.
Under the KMT’s Central Standing Committee structure, the Central Policy Committee director’s status is second only to that of the party secretary-general, automatically making the director the caucus whip.
Seeking to further disassociate the whip and the Central Policy Committee director, KMT lawmakers said the Legislative Yuan should be considered the primary battlefield, and as the caucus whip represents the public will behind the party, the whip should be afforded a status within the party equal to their significance.
Mo said the party understands Liao’s concerns and it was the party’s original intention to meet with Liao and discuss how the party and the caucus would work together.
The party headquarters is considering the establishment of a group, including the deputy party chairwoman, the secretary-general and the Central Policy Committee director, to directly discuss matters with the caucus whip, Mo said.
However, Mo said that despite agreement to set up a channel of discussion being between the party’s higher-ups and the caucus whip, the caucus should not entertain thoughts of cutting out the party altogether.
“Without the KMT, there would be no KMT legislative caucus,” Mo said. Liao expressed his agreement with Mo’s opinion.
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
President William Lai (賴清德) has appointed former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) to attend the late Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican City on Saturday on his behalf, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today. The Holy See announced Francis’ funeral would take place on Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square. The ministry expressed condolences over Francis’ passing and said that Chen would represent Taiwan at the funeral and offer condolences in person. Taiwan and the Vatican have a long-standing and close diplomatic relationship, the ministry said. Both sides agreed to have Chen represent Taiwan at the funeral, given his Catholic identity and
RSS