A deadlock could continue in the legislature today after lawmakers failed to reach a consensus on a proposed amendment to the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) yesterday.
When approached for comment, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus secretary-general Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) said the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) should stop boycotting the amendment because it would remove the power of law enforcement to approve or reject plans for a demonstration.
“[We] have sought to relax [the proposal] by allowing [organizers] to report a planned rally four days ahead of the activity instead of six days as previously stated in the proposal,” Yang said.
PHOTO: CNA
“But they [DPP] want to make it two days. We still need to negotiate this,” she said.
The DPP said it would use every means possible to block the amendment at the plenary session today as the KMT caucus would not rule out calling a vote on all six versions of the amendment.
The Cabinet’s version — which is likely to pass — would give the police the right to prevent a rally or change its route if it posed a risk to national security, social order or the public interest.
It would also give police the right to break up any rally that blocked traffic.
DPP caucus whip Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅) described the Cabinet’s proposal as “an Assembly and Parade Act of the Martial Law era.”
“They [law enforcement] would be able to alter your rally plan any way they want. They would only have to inform you of the change within 36 hours of the rally,” Lee said.
Lee said the KMT could be trying to interfere in a DPP protest scheduled for May 17 by pushing through the Cabinet’s amendment before then.
“The DPP will fight to the death if the KMT tries to push [the bill] through,” Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘), another DPP caucus whip, said yesterday.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS