The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday accused Premier William Lai (賴清德) of overstepping his power and said it would not approve his appointment of Transitional Justice Commission spokeswoman Yang Tsui (楊翠) as the commission’s acting chairperson.
Citing Article 8 of the Act on Promoting Transitional Justice (促進轉型正義條例), KMT caucus whip Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said that Lai was trying to circumvent the legislature’s authority.
The article states that the Legislative Yuan is empowered to approve or veto the nine commission members nominated by the premier, who should, during the nomination process, designate which of the nine would be the chairman and the deputy chairman.
Lai is exploiting a legal loophole with his appointment, as the commission is under investigation by the legislature’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee, Chiang added.
The commission cannot function without its director, deputy director and secretary-general, Chiang said
The KMT caucus will not recognize the appointment and will not accommodate Yang on the legislative floor for an interpellation, he said.
Without specifying what contingency measures should be taken in the absence of a chairperson or deputy chairperson, the premier has no authority to appoint an acting chairperson and should instead nominate a candidate for approval by the legislature, KMT caucus secretary-general William Tseng (曾銘宗) said.
Yang’s “distinct” political ideology and controversial style disqualify her, as the position requires a person who is nonpartisan and objective, he said.
The caucus will not approve the commission’s budget requests and will file an administrative lawsuit demanding the temporary cessation of all activities until its leadership is re-established, Tseng said.
It will also file a motion to block recognition of Yang as acting chairperson, he said.
KMT spokesman Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) on Tuesday said that Yang’s appointment revealed the commission’s true colors — a modern-day Dong Chang (東廠), the Ming Dynasty secret police and spy agency.
The appointment substantiated rumors that former commission chairman Huang Huang-hsiung (黃煌雄) was simply a figurehead.
Dismissing the KMT’s criticism, Yang said the commission could not afford to “stall” in its mission.
Yang said she would serve as the acting chairperson during a transitional phase to allow official business to proceed as normal and that she would step down once the Executive Yuan has nominated candidates for chairperson and deputy chairperson.
Regarding the possibility of the committee’s budget being frozen by the KMT caucus, Yang said that if the KMT allows her to attend legislative meetings, she would provide detailed explanations about budget proposals and efforts to uphold and promote transitional justice.
Additional reporting by Yang Chun-hui
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