The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday staged a protest against a draft amendment that would transform irrigation associations into government entities, with thousands of farmers shouting objections outside the Legislative Yuan.
The Legislative Yuan yesterday reviewed a Council of Agriculture draft amendment to the Organic Regulations for Irrigation and Water Conservancy Associations (農田水利會組織通則) which seeks to convert the associations into official agencies and abolish the election of association heads.
Standing with KMT lawmakers on a stage on Jinan Road outside the Legislative Yuan, KMT Chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) said the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government plans to expropriate the 17 associations’ private property by force and trickery.
Photo: CNA
The associations were founded with private donations, but the DPP is attempting to take them away, he said.
Defined as a “public legal person” in the regulations, the associations are subject to the council’s supervision, he said, adding that they have also observed legal procedures to invite public bids for construction projects.
If the DPP government aims to make beneficial reform, it should have invited people with different opinions to discuss the plan, but it chose to push the bill to a second reading last month, he said.
Photo: CNA
The DPP only has its own political interests in mind, KMT Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said, adding that people should oust the party with their votes.
The argument that the move would enable the council to crack down on factories polluting water on agricultural land is not convincing, as it should be the responsibility of the environmental agencies, former Taiwan Joint Irrigation Association chairperson Lee Yuan-chuan (李源泉) said.
Two farmers from the Taichung Irrigation Association, surnamed Lin (林) and Tsai (蔡), said they are more concerned about their access to water and the maintenance of irrigation facilities.
“The associations have operated efficiently,” while the council’s promise to protect irrigation water is not reliable, said Lin, who said he is nonpartisan.
It would make it more difficult for farmers to report problems with irrigation facilities if the council becomes the supervising agency, Tsai said.
Separately yesterday, DPP caucus chief executive Liu Chao-hao (劉櫂豪) said that farmers and irrigation association members across the nation support the initiative to nationalize associations and abolish association leadership elections in favor of government appointments.
Chianan Irrigation Association director Yang Ming-feng (楊明風), a member of the KMT, said he supports the change in status, as it would give associations the legal authority to crack down on pollution and illegal development in water conservation areas.
An association member was attacked and severely injured when investigating illegal farming activities in a protected area, but since the members were not part of a government agency, the attackers were charged with assault, not obstruction of official business, Yang said.
Additional reporting by Chen Wei-han
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