Former Yunlin County commissioner Lee Chin-yung’s (李進勇) nomination as chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) yesterday cleared a preliminary review at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, despite protests from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers.
Lee’s nomination was jointly reviewed yesterday morning by the Internal Administration Committee and the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee.
However, the meeting got off to a rough start as KMT lawmakers tried to bar Lee from entering the room, leading to a physical confrontation between KMT and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
To break the deadlock, DPP Legislator Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸), who was chairing the meeting, said that the committees would proceed directly with a vote.
Lee was elected with 15 “yes” votes to five “no” votes.
After the decision was announced, KMT legislators began yelling that the voting procedure was illegal and that the outcome was void.
Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) and other KMT legislators began throwing water about the meeting room, prompting DPP Legislator Ho Chih-wei (何志偉) to caution them to be respectful in the legislature.
KMT Legislator Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) mocked the freshman legislator, saying he had “only been [in the legislature] several months” and that “mommy and daddy most certainly did not teach you to be this kind of legislator.”
KMT legislators then tried to stop Lee Chin-yung from leaving, yelling for him to quit and saying his nomination as chairman was “disgraceful.”
KMT caucus whip Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) accused the DPP of abusing its power as the legislative majority.
Lee Chin-yung was a top DPP member and by accepting the CEC nomination, he has broken his promise to retire from politics after stepping down as Yunlin County commissioner, Chiang said.
“Does everyone believe he [Lee Chin-yung] will be fair and impartial?” Chiang asked.
DPP Chairman Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said that the committee members were exercising their legal rights in voting in the CEC chairperson nomination, and that they were obligated to exercise this right within a specified time frame.
The DPP was troubled by the minority KMT’s irrational boycott of the vote, he said at a meeting of the DPP’s Central Standing Committee.
Lee Chin-yung is an accomplished and experienced lawyer, and has extensive experience in local elections, Cho said.
Lee Chin-yung had already formally left the DPP and would be able to carry out his duties in an impartial and fair manner under the supervision of the legislature, Cho said.
He urged all legislators to cooperate on future elections and referendums.
Lee Chin-yung’s nomination awaits final approval by lawmakers during a plenary session.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or