Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers yesterday pledged to boycott the budget for the nation's postal service during the next legislative session, saying the state-run firm had changed its name "illegally."
"It's a ridiculous move, and we will not allow the passage of the [name-change amendment] bill in the new legislative session," Legislator Hsu Shao-ping (
The KMT caucus condemned the postal service's decision to change its name, pledging to boycott an amendment of the Organic Act Establishing the Chunghwa Post Co, Ltd (中華郵政股份有限公司設置條例) in the legislature. An amendment to the act would be required for the state-run company to legally change its name.
If the company tried to move forward with the name change without submitting a proposal to amend the law, Hsu said, the KMT would slash the budget of the state-owned enterprise during the next legislative session.
"This name change campaign is obviously an election gimmick. It is a move by which the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) can fawn over their `deep-green' supporters," KMT Legislator Hsu Shao-ping (
People First Party (PFP) Legislator Lee Hung-chun (
Lee warned Chunghwa Post not to be so confident over its right to change its name, claiming that the issue was up to the legislature.
Lee said he agreed with remarks made by Chunghwa Post labor union leader Tsai Liang-chuan (
KMT Legislator Kuo Su-chun (
The opening up of Taiwan to Chinese tourists would begin on April 1, she said.
"How will they feel when they come and see what we did to our memorials and institutions?" Kuo added, referring to the DPP's proposal to revise the theme of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall so that it no longer honors the dictator.
Commenting on the union's protest, DPP Legislator Gao Jyh-peng (
DPP Legislator Wang Shu-hui (
She added that what unions of the enterprises should care about is whether the enterprises can achieve sustainability.
"Taiwan donated a lot of money to many nations stricken by disasters in recent years, but these nations do not necessarily have diplomatic ties with us or know the `Republic of China' is actually `Taiwan,'" she said. "Therefore, all of the credit will be taken by China."
"But is it worthy to help our enemy earn credit?" she added. "Changing the names [of state-owned enterprises] means we are telling the world that Taiwan is an independent country with its own sovereignty and that we have nothing to do with China. This is the most important thing to do."
Additional reporting by Mo Yan-chih and CNA
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