Former Presidential Office secretary-general Chen Chu (陳菊) would likely focus her energy on running the new National Human Rights Committee when she takes over as Control Yuan president, another incoming member of the government watchdog said.
The source, who requested anonymity, said that the smooth transition of the Control Yuan’s powers to investigate, censure and audit should be ensured.
Chen has repeatedly said that she hoped to be the last Control Yuan president, amid calls for the watchdog to be abolished, although she has also said that she would perform all the duties that come with the title to the best of her ability.
Photo: Lee Hsin-fang, Taipei Times
President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration last week said it would push for a constitutional amendment to abolish the Control Yuan and the Examination Yuan in the next legislative session that starts in September.
The legislature on Dec. 10 last year passed the Organic Act of the National Human Rights Committee (國家人權委員會組織法), paving the way for the establishment of a 10-member committee.
The new committee is different from the Control Yuan’s other seven standing committees, because it would be based on teamwork, rather than individual investigation, a Control Yuan member said on condition of anonymity.
Control Yuan members lead independent investigations before convening other members and presenting their results, after which those convened vote on whether to issue an impeachment, recall of officials or a corrective notice, the source said.
Such statements do not carry much weight, as they are attributed to the Control Yuan member or members who led the investigation, unless other members back the motion, the source said.
However, a Control Yuan member, or a member of the National Human Rights Committee’s standing committee can propose an issue that would be debated and rigorously reviewed before the rights committee decides to accept the case.
The Human Rights Committee is to have 10 members, including the Control Yuan president. Aside from Chen, seven more members have been confirmed, with the final two to be appointed from among current Control Yuan members.
Another member, also citing anonymity, said that should the constitutional amendment pass, incoming Control Yuan members must recognize they would be the last of a sunset organization.
They would leave their posts after overseeing a transition of power, another source said.
The second source said that it is of utmost importance that the incoming members ensure that the Human Rights Committee becomes an independent agency if the Control Yuan is abolished.
Whether the Legislative Yuan would assume the mantle of exercising the power of control of the Control Yuan and then adopt a bicameral system is still up for debate, the second source said.
The terms of the current Control Yuan members end on Friday, with the new members to assume their posts the following day.
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