All of the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) 11 Control Yuan member nominees were approved by the legislature yesterday in a vote that went along party lines.
Former Judicial Reform Foundation chief executive officer Kao Yung-cheng (高涌誠), former Presidential Office secretary-general Chen Shih-meng (陳師孟), former Taiwan Association for Disability Rights secretary-general Wang Yu-ling (王幼玲), former minister without portfolio Lin Sheng-feng (林盛豐), National Yang Ming University public health professor Peter Chang (張武修), former Taipei Department of Legal Affairs commissioner Yang Fang-ling (楊芳玲), former judge Tsai Chung-yi (蔡崇義), former Taipei Awakening Foundation director-general Yang Fang-wan (楊芳婉) and former DPP legislators Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇), Walis Perin and Chao Yung-ching (趙永清) all secured at least 70 “yes” votes from the 73 lawmakers who voted.
Walis Perin garnered the most “yes” votes with 73.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus called the approvals “shameless” and an “international joke.”
The DPP used to vilify the Control Yuan, but now that it has the right to nominate its members, the post has suddenly generated renewed interest, KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) said.
It is evident from the question-and-answer sessions on Monday and Friday last week that what used to be criticized by the DPP as an obsolete agency and the “appendix” of the constitutional system has enticed nominees, all of whom were eager to assume the post, Lin said.
Chen said that the Control Yuan was “junk,” but that “it can be reused,” Lin said.
“Does a job whose responsibility is to reuse junk justify a monthly salary of NT$190,000?” he asked, referring to the Control Yuan members’ salary.
Lin said the KMT caucus unilaterally agreed that none of the nominees can be justified and KMT lawmakers decided against exercising their right of investiture during the vote.
If President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is serious about carrying out constitutional reforms, she should have waited until the legislature finished discussing the issue before deciding whether to make nominations, KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) said.
Rushing to make nominations only shows that the DPP treats the position of Control Yuan member as a tool for its pork-barrel politics, she said, expressing the concern that the new members might override the judiciary on behalf of the DPP.
KMT Legislator Alicia Wang (王育敏) panned Chen for saying that he would take action against judges who were allegedly biased against members of the pan-green camp — including former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) — while deliberating on cases.
Chen Shih-meng, while being questioned by KMT lawmakers on Monday, said he believed the former president is a victim of judicial persecution.
Chen Shih-meng’s remarks were no different from trampling on the nation’s judiciary, Alicia Wang said, questioning Tsai’s resolve to push for judicial reforms for nominating someone so biased against the judiciary.
The People First Party abstained from voting yesterday, while New Power Party legislators Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明), Kawlo Iyun Pacidal and Freddy Lim (林昶佐) voted.
KMT Legislator Chen Chao-ming (陳超明), the only KMT member who cast votes, said he voted only for Walis Perin and not for the rest.
KMT caucus whip Lin Te-fu (林德福) said he would report to KMT headquarters Chen Chao-ming’s defiance of the caucus’ agreement to withdraw from voting, recommending punishments.
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
A saleswoman, surnamed Chen (陳), earlier this month was handed an 18-month prison term for embezzling more than 2,000 pairs of shoes while working at a department store in Tainan. The Tainan District Court convicted Chen of embezzlement in a ruling on July 7, sentencing her to prison for illegally profiting NT$7.32 million (US$248,929) at the expense of her employer. Chen was also given the opportunity to reach a financial settlement, but she declined. Chen was responsible for the sales counter of Nike shoes at Tainan’s Shinkong Mitsukoshi Zhongshan branch, where she had been employed since October 2019. She had previously worked
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
TRANSPORT DISRUPTION: More than 100 ferry services were suspended due to rough seas and strong winds, and eight domestic flights were canceled, the ministry said Tropical Storm Wipha intensified slightly yesterday as it passed closest to Taiwan, dumping more than 200mm of rain in Hualien and Taitung counties, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 11am, Wipha was about 210km southwest of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and was moving west-northwest at 27km per hour (kph). The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 101kph and gusts reaching 126kph, with a 150km radius of strong winds, CWA data showed. Wipha’s outer rainbands began sweeping across Taiwan early yesterday, delivering steady rainfall in the east and scattered showers in other regions, forecasters said. More heavy rain was expected, especially in the eastern
RSS