Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) yesterday criticized the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), saying it has disrupted the Legislative Yuan since last year, and called on KMT Legislator Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) to stop going along with the KMT’s partisan opposition to progressive policies.
The KMT lacks strategic planning in national and party development and has resorted to populism in opposing the DPP’s policies, Ker wrote in an open letter to the KMT and Chiang.
The KMT has failed to produce convincing counter arguments and employed “circus acts” in its resistance to the DPP-led legislation, including throwing water balloons and climbing on tables during legislative sessions, Ker wrote.
He criticized Chiang’s participation in what he said was unjustifiable opposition against DPP-led efforts on pension reform, labor law amendments, ill-gotten party asset settlement, human rights museums, infrastructure construction bills and irrigation association reform — that are in line with former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) proposals.
The KMT used its authoritarian power to amass assets and rule via “money politics,” disrupting Taiwan’s democratic development, but Chiang chose to oppose the Act Governing the Handling of Ill-gotten Properties by Political Parties and Their Affiliate Organizations (政黨及其附隨組織不當取得財產處理條例) while establishing an office at a KMT branch in Taipei that was allegely founded with ill-gotten assets, Ker said.
Chiang’s opposition to the latest amendments to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), including filibustering a committee meeting to review the amendments, was illogical, Ker said.
He hampered the committee’s review yet asserted the importance of committee reviews of legislation, Ker said.
Chiang does have the potential to be a promising opposition politician if he could learn to exercise restraint, Ker said, adding that Chiang should “postpone a claim to kingship” while building his support base and political leverage.
“Politicians’ raison d’etre is to be useful to the nation, people and political parties. They have to create extra value for themselves and refrain from engaging in publicity stunts,” Ker wrote.
Chiang is the son of former KMT vice chairman John Chiang (蔣孝嚴) and a grandson of former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國).
Additional reporting by staff writer
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