The Legislative Yuan yesterday approved the nomination of Huang Shih-ming (黃世銘), President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) nominee, for top prosecutor-general, despite opposition from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
The 109 legislators present during yesterday’s plenary session voted 75 to 32 in favor of supporting the nomination.
By law, Huang only needed to secure the support of more than half of the 113-seat legislature, or 57 lawmakers, to become state prosecutor-general.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus had previously resolved to throw its support behind Huang, while the DPP thought otherwise, questioning Huang’s impartiality.
The DPP caucus, which holds 33 seats, cast the negative votes in the secret ballot. DPP Legislator Lin Su-fen (林淑芬) did not attend the session because she was stuck in traffic.
Two pan-blue legislators — the KMT or the Non-Partisan Solidarity Union — cast invalid votes in spite of the KMT caucus’ resolution to help the nomination clear the legislative floor.
“Almost all of the [pan-blue] legislators voted for him, which showed the Legislative Yuan’s recognition of him,” KMT caucus whip Lin Yi-shih (林益世) told reporters after the vote.
Speaking in the legislature minutes before the vote, DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅) said that while DPP lawmakers recognized that they would not be able to halt the appointment, they wanted to let Huang know that he did not have the support of the entire legislature.
Lee said the DPP caucus was opposed to Huang because of his “inability to remain impartial during key cases,” saying the state prosecutor general was more focused on “investigating pan-green cases than looking up pan-blue ones.”
The DPP caucus later requested that all party lawmakers vote against the appointment despite earlier reports about a free vote.
Following his approval, Huang vowed to clear the nation’s serious cases within two years.
Denying accusations that he and the prosecutorial system only probe DPP politicians, Huang said in the legislature: “My career as a prosecutor shows that I only have evidence and the law in mind, regardless of anyone’s political hue.”
Huang vowed to clear serious cases left by the former chief prosecutor Chen Tsung-ming (陳聰明).
Huang, who will now step down as deputy minister of justice, was nominated after Chen resigned following his impeachment by the Control Yuan in January.
Meanwhile, all 14 members of the SIP said yesterday they would offer their resignations soon to allow the new top prosecutor to choose his preferred team of prosecutors.
Huang said he was preparing to interview each prosecutor this week to learn about their cases before he announces his new SIP team.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VINCENT Y. CHAO
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS