The legislature’s Joint Education and Transportation Committee yesterday decided to submit the nominations of four prospective National Communications Commission (NCC) members to a vote of the full legislature, provided that the position of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that the nominees are unqualified for the position be included as a “reference” in the committee’s report for other legislators to consider.
Some lawmakers told reporters that the decision was a win-win compromise between the DPP and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). The DPP succeeded in having its opinions included in the committee’s review report, while the KMT can use its majority in the legislature to have the nominations passed at a full session.
The nominations are scheduled to be voted on tomorrow morning.
The four nominees are National Dong Hwa University professor Howard Shyr (石世豪), National Chiao Tung University professor Yu Hsiao-cheng (虞孝成), National Tsing Hua University professor Peng Shin-yi (彭心儀) and Integral Investment Holdings Group general manager Chen Yuan-ling (陳元玲).
They were nominated to replace NCC chairperson Su Herng (蘇蘅) and NCC vice chairperson Chen Jeng-chang (陳正倉), as well as NCC commissioners Weng Hsiao-ling (翁曉玲) and Chung Chi-hui (鍾起惠), who are scheduled to step down by the end of this month.
Shyr was nominated as the new commission chairperson and Yu as the new vice chairperson.
Prior to yesterday’s ruling, the joint committee had held three sessions to review the qualifications of the nominees.
However, DPP lawmakers boycotted the sessions twice, asking the Executive Yuan to provide more information on the nominees before they could properly review their qualifications.
Chen Yuan-ling and Peng once again came under attack at the review session.
Some DPP lawmakers said their investigations showed that Chen Yuan-ling provided false information on her work experience.
They also said that her husband runs a private equity firm that has a huge stake in China, which would be a major conflict of interest if she becomes a commissioner. They also said that Peng violated academic ethics by plagiarizing work as well as submitting the same report to multiple institutions and asking for funding.
DPP legislators Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) and Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) asked Peng if she was willing to step down if the National Science Council later finds her to have violated academic ethics.
“I am certain I have not violated any academic ethics,” Peng said. “But I will know what to do if an investigation by an academic institutions finds me guilty.”
In related news, Want Want Group chairman Tsai Eng-meng (蔡衍明) is scheduled to be interviewed by NCC commissioners today, as the commission seeks to clarify several remaining issues related to Want Want’s bid for the 11 cable TV stations owned by China Network System.
The commission also confirmed that Tsai’s son, Want Want China-Broadband chairman Tsai Shao-chung (蔡紹中), came to the commission yesterday and was informed about the administrative procedures for today’s interview.
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by
RSS