Since the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) together secured a majority in the Legislative Yuan in February, the two parties have proposed numerous draft amendments to the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法), which would provide legislators with greater powers to investigate government officials, businesses and citizens.
However, outraged by the absence of proper legislative procedures and the lack of transparency, tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside the legislature on Tuesday to call for the withdrawal of the proposals.
The protesters said they are concerned that the amendments could lead to officials being arbitrarily charged with “contempt of the legislature” during interpellations, and that legislators could penalize them without having to provide any justification.
Other organizations such as Citizen Congress Watch also denounced the two parties for not adhering to procedural justice, despite having a majority to pass their proposals.
In spite of the widespread anger, the KMT and the TPP still voted to pass the second reading of the amendments. They said that the new legislation is only intended to prevent officials from providing irrelevant or deceptive responses when being questioned by lawmakers, and that this move would accelerate the legislative reforms they promised during their election campaigns.
However, the explanations have not convinced the public. Many still condemn the opposition for refusing to publish the details of the amendments on the Legislative Yuan Web site, undermining the democratic system.
Such criticism is directed especially toward TPP Legislator Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), who vocally opposed the KMT’s attempt to force the passage of the cross-strait service trade agreement in 2014, but is now accused of behaving in a similar manner.
President William Lai (賴清德) also called on the Legislative Yuan to function properly in his inaugural address on Monday. He said that while competition among political parties is inevitable, cross-party cooperation is needed to avoid unnecessary conflict. He also said that legislators should prioritize the national interest over their narrow party interests, adding that this is essential to ensure long-lasting social stability.
Several other political figures also voiced support for a more harmonious operation in the legislature. In an open letter published on Monday, New Power Party (NPP) Chairperson Claire Wang (王婉諭) said the president should convene a national affairs conference with opposition parties, so that the proposed bills could be thoroughly examined by each party through rational dialogue.
Taiwan Statebuilding Party Chairman Wang Hsing-huan (王興煥) in a speech at the protest on Monday called for the public to fight politicians’ abuse of power, adding that public solidarity is the most effective way to deter politicians from illegitimately expanding their power.
Although people have differing concerns about the reforms, most believe that the opposition ought to strictly observe the legislative procedures and allow the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to review the bills during the consultative sessions, and that the minority should accept all voting outcomes. Many also believe that it is equally important for the opposition majority to incorporate the DPP’s opinions into its legislative process so as to foster mutual respect.
Hopefully, with continued public supervision, the three parties would eventually opt for cooperation over competition, and work out solutions that can minimize public discontent.
Tshua Siu-ui is a Taiwanese student studying international relations and politics in Norwich, England.
They did it again. For the whole world to see: an image of a Taiwan flag crushed by an industrial press, and the horrifying warning that “it’s closer than you think.” All with the seal of authenticity that only a reputable international media outlet can give. The Economist turned what looks like a pastiche of a poster for a grim horror movie into a truth everyone can digest, accept, and use to support exactly the opinion China wants you to have: It is over and done, Taiwan is doomed. Four years after inaccurately naming Taiwan the most dangerous place on
Wherever one looks, the United States is ceding ground to China. From foreign aid to foreign trade, and from reorganizations to organizational guidance, the Trump administration has embarked on a stunning effort to hobble itself in grappling with what his own secretary of state calls “the most potent and dangerous near-peer adversary this nation has ever confronted.” The problems start at the Department of State. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has asserted that “it’s not normal for the world to simply have a unipolar power” and that the world has returned to multipolarity, with “multi-great powers in different parts of the
President William Lai (賴清德) recently attended an event in Taipei marking the end of World War II in Europe, emphasizing in his speech: “Using force to invade another country is an unjust act and will ultimately fail.” In just a few words, he captured the core values of the postwar international order and reminded us again: History is not just for reflection, but serves as a warning for the present. From a broad historical perspective, his statement carries weight. For centuries, international relations operated under the law of the jungle — where the strong dominated and the weak were constrained. That
The Executive Yuan recently revised a page of its Web site on ethnic groups in Taiwan, replacing the term “Han” (漢族) with “the rest of the population.” The page, which was updated on March 24, describes the composition of Taiwan’s registered households as indigenous (2.5 percent), foreign origin (1.2 percent) and the rest of the population (96.2 percent). The change was picked up by a social media user and amplified by local media, sparking heated discussion over the weekend. The pan-blue and pro-China camp called it a politically motivated desinicization attempt to obscure the Han Chinese ethnicity of most Taiwanese.
RSS