Wed, Jan 17, 2024 page1

• A ‘State of the Nation’ address required: KMT

  ENHANCED FUNCTIONS: The KMT and TPP have pledged to jointly conduct a new wave of legislative reforms to avoid winner-takes-all democratic tyranny

  • By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter
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  The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday vowed to enhance the functions of the legislature by asking the president to give a “State of the Nation” address before lawmakers.

  The party issued a statement ahead of the legislative speaker’s election on Feb. 1 after the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) on Monday laid out its principles for choosing a legislative speaker.

  In Saturday’s legislative elections, the DPP secured 51 seats in the 113-seat legislature, the KMT garnered 52 and the TPP won eight. Another two seats were won by independents aligned with the KMT.

  

  The Legislative Yuan is pictured in Taipei in an undated photograph.

  Photo: Taipei Times

  The KMT yesterday said its national policy priority for the incoming legislature would be based on a joint statement it made with the TPP on Oct. 30 last year, in which they agreed to cooperate.

  “We will not deviate from the visions we presented in our meeting with the TPP last year. We will focus on exposing scandals in the DPP government’s procurement of COVID-19 vaccines produced by Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp (高端疫苗) and reviewing bills to protect whistle-blowers. We will also follow the direction of public opinion, stand with the people and oversee the government,” the KMT said.

  “We will follow our own path and invite those who share our political convictions to join us. This would prevent democratically elected leaders from governing the nation in a monolithic manner,” it added.

  In the joint statement last year, the KMT and TPP pledged to jointly conduct a new wave of legislative reforms to avoid winner-takes-all democratic tyranny.

  Among their agreements at the time the two parties had stated that the legislative functions under the framework laid down by the Constitution should be enhanced by asking the president to deliver a “State of the Nation” address before lawmakers.

  The president should provide a supplementary report after hearing recommendations from different legislative caucuses, they said.

  The appointment of the premier should be supported by the majority of lawmakers, and ministry officials should attend administrative hearings organized by lawmakers, they added.

  Separately yesterday, Pan Men-an (潘孟安), the manager of Vice President William Lai’s (賴清德) election campaign, said that former presidents Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) were willing to give a “State of the Nation” address in the legislature, but neither was able to because party caucuses would have to negotiate over the details of such a request.

  “Lai would not avoid such a request from the legislature,” Pan said.

  Lai himself said during the presidential debate that the president is obligated to give a “State of the Nation” address and accept inquiries from lawmakers based on the Constitution and the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法).

  However, it is not the same as a question-and-answer session, he said.

  Additional reporting by Chen Yun
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