Lawmakers yesterday voted to schedule a Dec. 31 review of an anti-infiltration bill proposed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
At a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Procedure Committee, the DPP caucus filed a motion to schedule the review for Dec. 31, which was put to a vote after objections by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers. The motion passed 9-2.
The DPP’s proposed bill last month advanced to a second reading and additional cross-caucus discussions.
The legislation calls for those who disrupt social order under the command or at the behest of “infiltration sources” to face a prison term of up to seven years or a fine of NT$5 million (US$165,508).
The 12-article bill would prohibit donations to political parties, influencing elections, proposing the recall of a government official or launching a referendum on the instructions or with the financial support of an infiltration source.
The legislature is today to enter a recess until Dec. 30 and call one legislative meeting on Dec. 31 to review the bill.
An extraordinary session could be held after the Jan. 11 presidential and legislative elections to review the general budget for the upcoming fiscal year, DPP caucus director-general Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said.
Lawmakers yesterday also approved an amendment to the Organization Act of the National Security Bureau (國家安全局組織法) stipulating that the bureau’s budget must be listed under other government agencies and reviewed by the legislature.
Relevant agencies should list the bureau’s budgetary items in the form of a black budget, the amendment says.
The Executive Yuan, which sponsored the amendment, said that other nations or hostile forces could discern the plans of the intelligence agency by obtaining information on its budget.
To keep the bureau’s work safe from undue interference and protect the safety of intelligence personnel, the bureau’s budgetary items should be listed under other agencies, which would be conducive to safeguarding classified information and reduce risks of intelligence being gathered by external forces, the Cabinet said.
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