The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has reportedly tapped caucus secretary-general Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) to serve as its spokesperson for issues related to constitutional amendments.
Party headquarters chose Cheng over caucus whip Lin Wei-chou (林為洲), because it considered Lin as being prone to making remarks that could be at odds with its stance, sources with knowledge of the matter said on Saturday, adding that the appointment of a spokesperson was aimed at preventing such contradictions.
While Lin and some other KMT lawmakers have expressed support for abolishing the Control Yuan and the Examination Yuan, most KMT members oppose the move, the sources said.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The public is unlikely to approve calls to transfer the Control Yuan’s investigative powers to the Legislative Yuan, as the public largely has a negative view about the legislature, they said.
Even if the KMT persists in its bid to abolish the two branches of government, Control Yuan President Chen Chu (陳菊), whose appointment was approved by the legislature last month, would still serve out her six-year term until 2026, the sources said.
KMT headquarters is inclined to shift the focus to formulating draft constitutional amendments that would allow opposition parties to provide more checks and balances on the government, they said.
KMT hardliners have doubts about abolishing the branches, as they were established in accordance with Sun Yat-sen’s (孫逸仙) “five branches” ideal, they added.
Even though KMT Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) had said that he supported abolishing the two, he likely wanted to double down on the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) claim that it would work toward that aim, as he believed that the DPP was not serious about the issue, they said.
A source from the KMT’s think tank echoed the views, saying that hardcore KMT supporters would not approve of Sun’s political system being dismantled.
The KMT would not let the DPP take advantage of the situation and score political points by claiming that it wants to eliminate the two branches, which is unlikely, as such a proposal would need to pass a referendum after garnering the support of at least 75 percent of lawmakers, they said.
The KMT’s draft constitutional amendments would be unveiled after the legislature officially forms a “constitutional amendment committee” in the next legislative session, they said.
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Residents have called on the Taipei City Government to reconsider its plan to demolish a four-decades-old pedestrian overpass near Daan Forest Park. The 42-year-old concrete and steel structure that serves as an elevated walkway over the intersection of Heping and Xinsheng roads is to be closed on Tuesday in preparation for demolition slated for completion by the end of the month. However, in recent days some local residents have been protesting the planned destruction of the intersection overpass that is rendered more poetically as “sky bridge” in Chinese. “This bridge carries the community’s collective memory,” said a man surnamed Chuang
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei