Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers yesterday did not occupy the speaker’s podium at the legislature in Taipei, but a review of the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program bill was nevertheless stalled as the KMT caucus proposed more than 300 motions to change the agenda and every motion was put to a vote.
After blocking legislative proceedings by occupying the speaker’s podium on Friday last week and on Tuesday, the KMT caucus changed tactics, proposing 300 motions to change the agenda which were all voted down by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers.
Each motion was voted on three times, as the KMT caucus asked for a roll call vote to be conducted, a proposal that was put to vote as the DPP caucus expressed its dissent.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
After the vote on whether to conduct a roll call was rejected by the DPP, a vote on whether to allow the proposed motion to be passed took place.
After that was rejected, the KMT caucus then asked for another vote.
That vote dragged on until noon, after which the KMT caucus continued to stall proceedings by proposing motions to change the agenda.
Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌), who chaired the session, called for a cross-caucus negotiation, but the session never resumed.
Earlier, the KMT caucus held a news conference and criticized Premier Lin Chuan (林全) for alleging that a “minority of people” are trying to mislead the public and let the nation remain idle.
KMT caucus secretary-general Alicia Wang (王育敏) said many people, including former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), Pingtung County Commissioner Pan Men-an (潘孟安), the New Power Party, the People First Party and the Social Democratic Party, have taken issue with the development program, adding that its boycott was a last resort to ensure taxpayers’ money would not be squandered.
The only physical scuffle yesterday took place in the morning when the speaker’s podium was occupied briefly by DPP lawmakers, but not without a tussle.
Before the meeting started at 9am, the lawmakers were already lining up to enter the chamber and rushed in when the doors opened at 7am.
DPP lawmakers successfully got to the podium and sat there until Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) arrived.
KMT Legislator Jason Hsu (許毓仁) on Facebook accused DPP Legislator Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡) of pushing him during the rush, which led to him falling and injuring his elbow.
Wu denied that he pushed Hsu and said Hsu tripped himself during the chaotic rush to the podium.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
There are 77 incidents of Taiwanese travelers going missing in China between January last year and last month, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said. More than 40 remain unreachable, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday. Most of the reachable people in the more than 30 other incidents were allegedly involved in fraud, while some had disappeared for personal reasons, Luo said. One of these people is Kuo Yu-hsuan (郭宇軒), a 22-year-old Taiwanese man from Kaohsiung who went missing while visiting China in August. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said in a news statement that he was under investigation
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
An aviation jacket patch showing a Formosan black bear punching Winnie the Pooh has become popular overseas, including at an aviation festival held by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force at the Ashiya Airbase yesterday. The patch was designed last year by Taiwanese designer Hsu Fu-yu (徐福佑), who said that it was inspired by Taiwan’s countermeasures against frequent Chinese military aircraft incursions. The badge shows a Formosan black bear holding a Republic of China flag as it punches Winnie the Pooh — a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) — who is dressed in red and is holding a honey pot with
RSS