The Legislative Yuan yesterday approved Examination Yuan and National Communications Commission (NCC) nominees after Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers voted in favor of the nominations.
Examination Yuan presidential nominee Huang Jong-tsun (黃榮村), a former minister of education and China Medical University president, and vice presidential nominee Chou Hung-hsien (周弘憲), a former minister of civil service, each received 65 “yes” and three “no” votes.
The Legislative Yuan also approved nine Examination Yuan members: Council of Indigenous Peoples Deputy Minister Iwan Nawi; former Overseas Community Affairs Council minister Wu Hsin-hsing (吳新興); former deputy minister of education Yao Leeh-ter (姚立德); former department of health deputy director Wang Hsiu-hung (王秀紅); current Examination Yuan members Chen Tsi-yang (陳慈陽) and Yang Ya-hwei (楊雅惠); National Chengchi University Department of Public Finance chairwoman Ho Yi-cheng (何怡澄); Chang Jung Christian University professor emeritus Chen Chin-seng (陳錦生); and National Taiwan University professor Chou Lien-siang (周蓮香).
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Chen Chin-seng and Chou Lien-siang received 63 “yes,” three “no” and one spoiled votes, while the other nominees were approved with 64 “yes” and three “no” votes.
During a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Yuan on Wednesday, Huang said that as head of the Examination Yuan, he would comply with any legislative efforts to abolish the Examination Yuan and the Control Yuan — a cause that has been advocated by many people.
If the legislature amends the Constitution to phase out these branches, Huang said he would ensure that the Examination Yuan transfers to other agencies its responsibilities for designing civil service entrance tests and evaluating the performances of civil servants.
Prior to the vote, three New Power Party (NPP) lawmakers said they would vote against the nominations, based on their refusal to turn in an eight-question survey from the lawmakers, which they said showed the nominees’ “arrogance.”
Acting NCC Chairman Chen Yaw-hsyang (陳耀祥) and former NCC deputy chairman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) yesterday became NCC chairman and deputy chairman respectively after receiving a majority the DPP caucus’ votes.
First-time nominees National Taiwan University Graduate Institute of Journalism professor Lin Lih-yun (林麗雲) and National Taiwan Normal University Graduate Institute of Mass Communication chairwoman Wang Wei-ching (王維菁), as well as NCC spokesman Hsiao Chi-hung (蕭祈宏), were also approved.
The NPP caucus said prior to the vote that they would only approve the first-time nominees, as the incumbents and holdovers from the agency had not adequately cracked down on Chinese-sponsored media from churning out “fake news.”
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers withdrew from the vote and scrawled protests on the ballots, accusing the DPP of using the independent agency as a tool for persecuting political rivals.
Additional reporting by Chen Yun and Wu Su-wei
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
A saleswoman, surnamed Chen (陳), earlier this month was handed an 18-month prison term for embezzling more than 2,000 pairs of shoes while working at a department store in Tainan. The Tainan District Court convicted Chen of embezzlement in a ruling on July 7, sentencing her to prison for illegally profiting NT$7.32 million (US$248,929) at the expense of her employer. Chen was also given the opportunity to reach a financial settlement, but she declined. Chen was responsible for the sales counter of Nike shoes at Tainan’s Shinkong Mitsukoshi Zhongshan branch, where she had been employed since October 2019. She had previously worked
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
The Taipei District Court today ruled to extend the incommunicado detention of former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇) for two more months as part of an ongoing corruption trial. Codefendants in the case — real-estate tycoon Sheen Ching-jing (沈慶京) and Ko's former mayoral office head Lee Wen-tsung (李文宗) — were granted bail of NT$100 million (US$3.4 million) and NT$20 million respectively. Sheen and Lee would also be barred from leaving the country for eight months and prohibited from contact with, harassing, threatening or inquiring after the case with codefendants or witnesses. The two would also be
RSS