Amid hair-pulling, cups flying and table banging, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers yesterday rammed through a preliminary review of controversial legal revisions to allow Chinese students to study in Taiwan and to recognize Chinese educational credentials.
The KMT-dominated Internal Administration Committee and the Education and Culture Committee yesterday held a joint meeting to review proposed amendments to the Act Governing the Relations Between the Peoples of the Taiwan Area and Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例).
Skirmishes broke out when KMT lawmakers cashed in on their numerical advantage to vote against the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus’ proposal to hold a public hearing before the committees proceeded to debate the amendments article by article.
PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUEI, TAIPEI TIMES
The meeting’s convenor, KMT Legislator Chang Ching-chung (張慶忠), had to fight two female DPP lawmakers for his microphone, which was broken during the commotion.
Frustrated by his KMT colleagues’ refusal to negotiate, DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅) threw water into the air and paper cups onto the table. He also broke a piece of a plastic table divider separating lawmakers from reporters.
Female lawmakers of the two parties began pulling each other’s hair and two female DPP lawmakers held Chang’s chest while he was declaring the committee had passed the preliminary review of the amendments.
Chang’s announcement angered DPP lawmakers who were pulling his vest to stop him from fleeing the room.
Shouting “where are the rights of Taiwanese?” DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) smashed a wireless microphone and tossed books on the floor.
She also tore apart a law book to vent her frustration.
“Taiwan doesn’t need any law anymore. We have the KMT,” an exasperated Chiu said.
With Chang nowhere to be found, DPP lawmakers held an impromptu news conference on the spot condemning the KMT.
They refused to recognize the legitimacy of any decision made during the meeting and blamed the KMT for sowing the seeds of future confrontation and boycotts.
DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) accused the KMT of colluding with China to rush through the legislative process.
Chen said Chang and KMT caucus whip Lin Yi-shih (林益世) would go down in history as “sinners.”
The meeting yesterday got off to a rough start in the morning when DPP lawmakers demanded Minister of Education Wu Ching-chi (吳清基) be present to answer their questions.
Wu, who arrived 10 minutes later, was oblivious to the DPP lawmakers’ demands.
Chang angered DPP lawmakers when he decided to put a DPP proposal that Wu apologize to a vote. Wu did not get to stand on the podium until 70 minutes into the meeting.
In an attempt to ease the tension, Wu apologized for causing an uproar before he delivered his report.
Similar scuffles broke out at the Education and Culture Committee two weeks ago when the committee was trying to read through the minutes of the previous week’s session to confirm that the previous committee session had completed a preliminary review of amendments to the University Act (大學法) and the Vocational School Act (專科學校法) that would allow Taiwanese schools to recruit Chinese students.
Saying it opposed recognizing Chinese educational credentials, the DPP caucus said it was not against allowing Chinese students to study in Taiwanese universities, but certain limitations must be imposed and enshrined in law.
While the Ministry of Education has proposed some limitations, it was against writing them into law, arguing that it wanted to have some leeway for future adjustments.
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