The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday filed malfeasance charges against Central Election Commission (CEC) Chairman Chen In-chin (陳英鈐) and Vice Chairman Chen Chao-chien (陳朝建) for ignoring a deadline on publishing the opinions of government agencies on a referendum.
The caucus mainly took issue with the Executive Yuan’s opinions on a referendum initiated by KMT Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) that asks people for their stance on continuing an import ban on food products from five Japanese prefectures that was initiated after the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster.
The referendum proposal was passed by the commission last month.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The commission on Oct. 24 uploaded the Executive Yuan’s opinions on the referendum to its Web site and on Nov. 2 uploaded a revision to the opinions.
The Taipei High Administrative Court on Wednesday last week issued a cease-and-desist order to the commission over its revisions.
The commission breached the Referendum Act (公民投票法), which stipulates that government agencies’ opinions on referendums must be published at least 28 days before voting takes place, KMT caucus secretary-general William Tseng (曾銘宗) told a news conference at the Control Yuan in Taipei.
Photo: Chien Li-chung, Taipei Times
Chen In-chin’s contravention of the act was malfeasance, and the caucus has urged the Control Yuan to impeach him after an investigation, Tseng said.
Although it has appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court, the commission should have complied with the court order, but instead mailed out revised referendum gazettes to district offices nationwide after receiving the ruling, KMT Legislator John Wu (吳志揚) said.
The commission should “clean up its own mess” and shoulder the compensation for any losses suffered by the nation as a result of its actions, he said.
It would cost the government about NT$150 million (US$4.86 million) to print the original version of the gazettes and send them to constituents nationwide, KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) said.
Accusing Chen In-chin of breaking the law and malfeasance, Lai asked how he has the nerve to stay in his position.
Aside from the referendum on Japanese food products, the commission on Nov. 2 also uploaded the Executive Yuan’s revised opinions on six other referendums, including some asking for people’s opinion on same-sex marriage and gender education, drawing public protests.
Citing the Administrative Appeals Act (行政訴訟法), the commission on Tuesday said that the Taipei High Administrative Court should have given it a chance to testify before passing down the order, but did not, leading it to appeal.
The commission said that the ruling was issued on Wednesday last week and that by the time it received the verdict on Friday, it had already finished printing the gazettes and had mailed some of them.
The legislators later filed charges against the commission over alleged malfeasance and contraventions of the act with the Taipei District Court.
A strong continental cold air mass is to bring pollutants to Taiwan from tomorrow, the Ministry of Environment said today, as it issued an “orange” air quality alert for most of the country. All of Taiwan except for Hualien and Taitung counties is to be under an “orange” air quality alert tomorrow, indicating air quality that is unhealthy for sensitive groups. In China, areas from Shandong to Shanghai have been enveloped in haze since Saturday, the ministry said in a news release. Yesterday, hourly concentrations of PM2.5 in these areas ranged from 65 to 160 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/m³), and pollutants were
Taiwan’s armed forces have established response protocols for a wide range of sudden contingencies, including the “Wan Chun Plan” to protect the head of state, the Ministry of Defense (MND) said today. After US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, concerns have been raised as to whether China would launch a similar “decapitation strike” on Taiwan. The armed forces regularly coordinate with relevant agencies and practice drills to ensure preparedness for a wide range of scenarios, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) told reporters before a
EVA Airways on Saturday said that it had suspended a pilot and opened an investigation after he allegedly lost his temper and punched the first officer several times as their plane was taxiing before takeoff at Los Angeles International Airport. According to a report published on Thursday by The Reporter, the incident occurred after the flight’s Malaysian first officer tried to warn the Taiwanese pilot, surnamed Wen (文), that he was taxiing faster than the speed limit of 30 knots (55.6kph). After alerting the pilot several times without response, the first officer manually applied the brakes in accordance with standard operating
NOT AN OPENING: Trump’s violation of international law does not affect China’s consideration in attacking Taiwan; Beijing lacks capability, not precedent, an official said Taiwanese officials see the US’ capture of the president of Venezuela as a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s aggression and a timely reminder of the US’ ability to defeat militaries equipped with Chinese-made weapons. The strikes that toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signaled to authoritarian leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), US President Donald Trump’s willingness to use military might for international affairs core to US interests, one senior official in Taipei’s security circle said. That reassured Taiwan, the person said. Taipei has also dismissed the idea that Trump’s apparent violation of international law could embolden Beijing, said the official, who was not
RSS