A massive brawl erupted between governing and opposition lawmakers in the main chamber of the legislature in Taipei yesterday over legislative reforms.
President-elect William Lai (賴清德) is to be inaugurated on Monday, but his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its majority in the legislature and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has been working with the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) to promote their mutual ideas.
The opposition parties said the legislative reforms would enable better oversight of the Executive Yuan, including a proposal to criminalize officials who are deemed to make false statements in the legislature.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
“The DPP does not want this to be passed as they have always been used to monopolizing power,” said KMT Legislator Jessica Chen (陳玉珍), wearing a military-style helmet.
The DPP said the KMT and the TPP are improperly trying to force through the proposals without the customary consultation process in what it called “an unconstitutional abuse of power.”
“Why are we opposed? We want to be able to have discussions, not for there to be only one voice in the country,” DPP Legislator Wang Mei-hui (王美惠) said.
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
When the session started yesterday morning, there was pushing and shoving as KMT lawmakers formed defensive walls at the podium to shield Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), enabling him to preside over the process for raising motions, reading bills and proceed to a vote.
Even before votes started to be cast, some lawmakers screamed at and shoved each other outside the legislative chamber, before the action moved into the chamber itself.
In chaotic scenes, lawmakers surged around the speaker’s podium, some leaping over tables and pulling colleagues to the floor.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
During the physical altercations, KMT Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) at one point pulled out a flute and played the national anthem, while Chen blocked the entrance to the podium area and shouted: “I’ll take on 10 of you.”
DPP Legislator Huang Jie (黃捷) protested being “physically handled” by Chen and described the altercation “as being bitten by a beast.”
During a recess at about 3pm, DPP Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) snatched documents from Legislative Yuan Secretary-General Chester Chou (周萬來) and ran out of the chamber.
KMT lawmakers demanded that Kuo return the documents and explain himself, while DPP lawmakers claimed Hsu attempted to strangle Wang with a DPP party flag.
Kuo later told reporters that his actions were “justified” as the opposition parties “have been increasingly violent,” adding that the contents of the files he obtained could not be made public.
The differences between the governing and the opposition lawmakers could not be reconciled despite multiple cross-caucus negotiations headed by Han.
With a majority, the opposition at 5:32pm voted to extend the legislative session.
At about 7pm, DPP Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) and fellow DPP lawmakers again tried to force their way up the podium and occupy the speaker’s seat, but failed.
At 8pm, five lawmakers — Shen, Chung, DPP legislators Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) and Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉), and KMT Legislator Wu Tsung-hsien (吳宗憲) — were taken to hospital.
As of press time last night, the legislative session was still ongoing.
The KMT holds 52 seats in the 113-seat legislature, while the TPP has eight and the DPP has 51. There are also two independent lawmakers who are ideologically aligned with the KMT.
Additional reporting by CNA
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old