The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus is scheduled to hold a preparatory meeting for the new legislative session today, when DPP legislators are likely to nominate DPP legislator-at-large-elect Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃) as legislative speaker.
Yu, who served as premier from 2002 to 2005, reportedly met with DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) before the Lunar New Year holiday.
During the one-hour meeting, the two reportedly exchanged views on how the legislature should operate once the new lawmakers arrive on Saturday.
Photo courtesy of Ker Chien-ming
Ker also reportedly expressed his support for Yu becoming legislative speaker.
DPP legislators also need to nominate a deputy legislative speaker and discuss the party caucus whip election.
Local Chinese-language media have reported that Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) is likely to stay in his post.
DPP Legislator Chen Ming-wen (陳明文), who has served two terms as legislator and was re-elected in the Jan. 11 legislative elections, has registered to run in the party caucus whip election.
Chen had said that the DPP allows all those who are qualified to compete in the caucus whip race.
As the DPP retained a legislative majority in the election, its nominees for legislative speaker and deputy legislative speaker are guaranteed to be elected.
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus whip Lai Hsiang-lin (賴香伶) has said that the TPP would state its position on the legislative speaker election, even though it would not affect the election’s outcome.
The party would talk about the matter in a caucus meeting tomorrow, she said.
New Power Party (NPP) spokesman Chen Chi-ming (陳志明) said that Yu planned to meet with NPP legislators after the Lunar New Year holiday.
Asked whether NPP legislators would vote for Yu, Chen Chi-ming said that the DPP and the NPP should first speak about the general direction of their partnership.
The NPP would decide how it would vote in the legislative speaker election after meeting with Yu, he said.
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