The Executive Yuan yesterday said it would postpone two public hearings on easing a food import ban from five Japanese prefectures, in an effort to avoid interference from certain groups and political manipulation from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).
Executive Yuan spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) said that two hearings scheduled next month to discuss food imports from Japan’s Fukushima and surrounding prefectures would be delayed.
Hsu said the decision to delay the hearings, to be held on Monday in Kaohsiung and Jan. 8 in Taipei, was made after listening to the concerns of public.
The first hearing held on Sunday last week regarding the potential import of food products from Japan’s Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chiba and Gunma prefectures ended without progress when more than 100 protesters gathered outside the hearing and obstructed talks from proceeding.
After the first hearing was unable to proceed, the Executive Yuan is concerned that other scheduled hearings could face similar obstructions on an even larger scale, Hsu said, adding that the Executive Yuan decided it was best to delay the hearings and find a new approach.
After speaking to some public organizations, Hsu said it was decided to change the format of the hearings, adding that consultations and greater public participation in the next hearings are being considered.
Hsu said the Executive Yuan does not approve of the KMT’s obstruction of public policy discussions.
All discussions on the issue of Japanese food imports to date have been conducted on the basis of resolutions by the Legislative Yuan, Hsu said, adding that they have taken into account concerns of all political parties.
Hsu said further discussions were necessary, citing concerns by the Executive Yuan that a more adequate food safety management system needed to be implemented before import bans could be lifted.
The Executive Yuan wants to rebuild public trust in the government regarding food safety management, Hsu said.
“We need to establish a new way to communicate with the public on policy issues, allowing public organizations to participate in preparing the agenda, clarifying facts and clarifying points of contention,” Hsu said.
Hsu called on all parties and officials to help establish communications on public policy and avoid creating conflict in society.
Culture and Communications Committee deputy director Hu Wen-chi (胡文琦) said the delay is nothing but an attempt by President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration to manipulate politics and avoid public scrutiny.
“Every day that goes by without an unequivocal pledge from the Tsai administration that it would not reopen the nation’s door to Japanese food products [from the five prefectures] is another day that we should be prepared for a possible sneak attack from the government,” Hu said.
The issue is that lifting the import ban fundamentally runs against mainstream public opinion, Hu said.
Additional reporting by Stacy Hsu
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