President Chen Shui-bian (
People First Party (PFP) Legislator Hsu Yuan-kuo (
Chen and Panama President Mireya Moscoso signed the FTA on Aug. 21. The legislature passed the pact on Oct. 1.
Signing such an agreement before the legislature made a final decision on it violated the legislature's power to approve or reject treaties, Hsu said.
Article 63 of the Constitution grants the legislature the power to decide by resolution upon treaties but does not say whether the decision should be made before or after the treaties have been signed.
According to Hsu, Chen criticized the government of former president Lee Teng-hui (
In 1990, Lee instructed former minister of foreign affairs Fredrick Chien (
"I believe legislators' power to decide by resolution upon treaties has been castrated," Hsu quoted Chen as saying during a legislative session in 1991.
"It is a serious problem. We cannot just let this messy matter go by."
Chen said at the time that legislators needed to highlight the seriousness of the problem so that similar situations would not happen in the future.
"Thirteen years ago, Chen highlighted the seriousness of the government damaging legislators' power to decide by resolution upon treaties," Hsu said. "However, today, thirteen years later, it is Chen himself that has allowed this situation to happen again."
Perry Shen (
"The government has not breached the Constitution by signing the Taiwan-Panama FTA," he said. "Signing international treaties before legislative bodies pass the pacts is a commonly adopted procedure."
Shen added that MOFA had consulted and negotiated with legislators from major parties before signing the FTA.
Hsu's allegation resulted from a differing interpretation of the Constitution, Shen said.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS