Leading figures in the legislative speaker contest from the two biggest political parties visited the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) caucus office yesterday to seek support ahead of the vote by legislators on Thursday.
Incumbent Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫?) together with Deputy Speaker Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌), both of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), paid a visit in the afternoon, holding talks for about an hour with the TPP’s eight legislators-at-large in waiting.
In the morning, it was the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) prospective candidates for speaker and deputy speaker, former Kaohsiung mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and former KMT chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣), who visited the TPP caucus office for a closed-door meeting.
Photo: CNA
Since no party garnered a majority in the 113-seat legislature, the TPP holds a decisive minority, which could help either the DPP (51 seats) or the KMT (52 seats plus two independent legislators) win the influential position.
Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) and Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) headed the TPP’s legislators-at-large list.
“We had a discussion and exchange of views, and both sides have much in common. Taiwan’s national interest is most important and finding ways to improve Taiwan,” You said after the meeting. “We have the same ideals, to consolidate Taiwan’s democracy, institute legislative reforms and to strive for Taiwan to become a normal nation.”
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
You said that he made the visit in a personal capacity and he was not representing the DPP.
The TPP caucus has set conditions for which side would receive its eight votes, by outlining a list of reforms for the new legislature.
It is asking the new speaker to promise to push bills amending the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法) that would stipulate penalties for officials found to have made false statements during hearings and bar government agencies from refusing legislators’ requests to access documents.
Other reform measures on the list include that lawmakers should have greater authority in confirming presidential or Cabinet nominations.
You said on social media that he would agree in principle to the five major reforms proposed by the TPP if he wins enough votes to remain speaker.
You added that he planned to meet with the KMT caucus today. He said that it is the norm for the legislative speaker to visit all the political parties.
Han also said that he fully supports the TPP’s major reforms for the legislature.
“During our meeting, we discussed many things without setting limits. Right now, we can only interact and deal with the TPP through honest and straight discussions. We ask outsiders not to view this meeting in a negative way, since it was a very positive visit,”he said.
Following the meeting, Han shook hands with each of the TPP’s eight legislators-at-large in waiting and warmly embraced Huang Kuo-chang.
Additional reporting by Lee Wen-hsin and Huang Ching-hsuan
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