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.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS