Last month's presidential elections paved the way for a shift in political power and the March 24th ruling by the Council of Grand Justice that overturned the National Assembly's term extension now provides us a excellent opportunity to reform that body.
The history of the assembly is fraught with dispute. It was originally an ad hoc body used to represent the public during the presidential selection process, without actual powers. After retreating to Taiwan, the KMT used the assembly to extend the rule of Chiang Kai-shek
The assembly should have been abolished after direct presidential elections were instituted, but the KMT remained stubbornly fixated on the outdated five-branch system of government. The KMT refused to abolish the assembly and even increased its power vis-a-vis the Legislative Yuan. Politics suffered as a result and the public was frequently shocked by the untoward actions and speeches of delegates.
Calls for the abolishment of the assembly and creation of a one-house legislature have continued unabated and formed one of the basic planks of the DPP party platform. The New Party has also called for the removal of the assembly and both parties have claimed their deputies are committed to its abolishment.
However, it has proven difficult for those two parties to work for abolishment, once they were able to get they own members elected as deputies.
So there has been a deadlock within the assembly and the deputies have continued to carry out "self-fattening" revisions, the pinnacle of which was the passage of constitutional revisions last September which extended their terms.
That decision sent Taiwan into convulsions and the speaker of the assembly was eventually forced to step down. Delegates from both the DPP and KMT were blamed for the term extension, and their reputations fell to a historically low level.
The assembly's actions did lead, however, to a public consensus over how, for once and for all, to resolve the status of the assembly. With public opinion galvanized over the issue, abolishment is inevitable.
The DPP will of course try to realize its long-term goal of abolishing the assembly now that it has captured the presidency. The KMT is also less inclined to stick to its guns over the issue of the existing five-branch division of power. James Soong
Moreover, rumors that the DPP and KMT will join forces to prevent pro-Soong delegates from entering the assembly are beside the point. If Soong is smart, he will clarify his position sooner rather than later, to immediately join hands with the DPP to abolish the assembly, rather than waiting around for the other parties to join forces against him.
With the exit of the assembly from Taiwan's political stage almost a given, the deputies should seize the opportunity. New deputies have not yet been elected because of last fall's constitutional revisions, presenting the deputies an excellent opportunity to do away with the assembly. How could they pass up such an opportunity? If they do not abolish the assembly before May 6,when a new batch of deputies are to be elected, we'll have to wait another four years for a chance.
Of course there are a host of abolishment-related issues that will have to be dealt with before May 6. It won't be easy, but there is no reason not to try. If the parties are truly unified on the issue, then they should pass a resolution in the upcoming ad hoc session pushing for abolishment, thereby erasing any legal basis for future elections.
The assembly should also redraft the jurisdiction of a new assembly, clearly restricting its powers to constitutional revisions and also clearly stating the method delegates are elected. An overall examination and revision to the constitution could also be undertaken at this time.
The time is ripe for getting rid of the assembly. Now it's up to the politicians to seize this rare opportunity.
Chou Tien-jui is the chairman of the board of directors at Power News.
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