The Legislative Yuan’s eight committees yesterday elected new conveners, with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) taking 10 seats, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) taking five, and an alliance between the People First Party (PFP) and the Non-Partisan Solidarity Union taking one.
The DPP and KMT caucuses each appointed a lawmaker to serve as convener on six of the committees.
DPP Legislator Chang Hung-lu (張宏陸) and KMT Legislator Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) were appointed to cochair the Internal Administration Committee, while the Economics Committee is to be cochaired by DPP Legislator Lai Jui-lung (賴瑞隆) and KMT Legislator Yosi Takun.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
DPP Legislator Shih Yi-fang (施義芳) and KMT Legislator Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才) are to take turns presiding over the Finance Committee, while DPP Legislator Lee Kuen-tse (李昆澤) and KMT Legislator Chen Hsueh-shen (陳雪生) are to rotate the duty of chairing the Transportation Committee.
The Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee is to be cochaired by DPP Legislator Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) and KMT Legislator Hsu Chih-jung (徐志榮), while the Education and Culture Committee is to be jointly presided over by DPP Legislator Frida Tsai (蔡培慧) and May Chin (高金素梅), representing the PFP-Non-Partisan Solidarity Union alliance.
Following a vote, the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, is to be cochaired by DPP legislators Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) and Wang Ting-yu (王定宇), while the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee is to be presided over by DPP legislators Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) and Chou Chun-mi (周春米).
Chou Chun-mi said that the DPP caucus is to send the Executive Yuan’s draft Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 748 enforcement act to cross-caucus negotiations, allowing it to bypass committee review.
It would be reviewed alongside other versions of the bill tendered by lawmakers, she said.
Other issues her committee would focus on during this session include bills concerning judicial reform and those regarding penalties for drunk driving and child abuse, she said.
Regarding calls to amend the Referendum Act (公民投票法) in the wake of the chaos in last year’s referendums, DPP Legislator Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said he and DPP Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) have been assigned to hold public hearings on the issue.
The DPP caucus would draw up draft amendments to the act and wait for the Cabinet to submit its version of draft amendments before integrating the two, he said.
Additional reporting by Su Fun-her
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