Lawmakers yesterday voted to schedule a Dec. 31 review of an anti-infiltration bill proposed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
At a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Procedure Committee, the DPP caucus filed a motion to schedule the review for Dec. 31, which was put to a vote after objections by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers. The motion passed 9-2.
The DPP’s proposed bill last month advanced to a second reading and additional cross-caucus discussions.
The legislation calls for those who disrupt social order under the command or at the behest of “infiltration sources” to face a prison term of up to seven years or a fine of NT$5 million (US$165,508).
The 12-article bill would prohibit donations to political parties, influencing elections, proposing the recall of a government official or launching a referendum on the instructions or with the financial support of an infiltration source.
The legislature is today to enter a recess until Dec. 30 and call one legislative meeting on Dec. 31 to review the bill.
An extraordinary session could be held after the Jan. 11 presidential and legislative elections to review the general budget for the upcoming fiscal year, DPP caucus director-general Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said.
Lawmakers yesterday also approved an amendment to the Organization Act of the National Security Bureau (國家安全局組織法) stipulating that the bureau’s budget must be listed under other government agencies and reviewed by the legislature.
Relevant agencies should list the bureau’s budgetary items in the form of a black budget, the amendment says.
The Executive Yuan, which sponsored the amendment, said that other nations or hostile forces could discern the plans of the intelligence agency by obtaining information on its budget.
To keep the bureau’s work safe from undue interference and protect the safety of intelligence personnel, the bureau’s budgetary items should be listed under other agencies, which would be conducive to safeguarding classified information and reduce risks of intelligence being gathered by external forces, the Cabinet said.
‘OBNOXIOUS MAN’: The KMT’s Chen Ching-hui moved into Chung Chia-pin’s path atop the podium and reached for him before he grabbed at her legs with both hands Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chung Chia-pin (鍾佳濱) yesterday said he slipped and lost his balance, and did not know who was around him, after jumping onto the speaker’s podium at the legislature in Taipei. He apologized after a collision with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chen Ching-hui (陳菁徽), who moved to intercept him as he mounted the podium. There was pushing and shoving when the session started in the morning as KMT lawmakers attempted to block access to the podium to shield Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) so he could preside over the session. Video footage showed Chung step on a chair and
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