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.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not
RSS