The issue of relocating the Legislative Yuan (LY) out of Taipei remains a hot topic even a decade after it was first proposed, with Taichung the most popular among the proposed locations, legislators said.
Other proposed locations include New Taipei City’s Tucheng District (土城), Changhua County’s Tianjhong Township (田中) and Yilan County.
Locations in Taipei have also been suggested, including the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the 202 Munitions Works in Nangang District (南港).
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The Legislative Yuan was moved to Taiwan following the Chinese Civil War, and held its first session in Taiwan in Taipei’s Zhongshan Hall before moving to its current location on Zhongshan S Road in 1960.
The Legislative Yuan building was a girls’ high school during the Japanese colonial era, and the legislature’s administrative offices are in what used to be its dormitory.
Over the years, additional buildings were rented or built in the surrounding area, giving the complex a disjointed feel.
In 2012, then-Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) proposed moving the legislature to Taichung.
The proposal has since been reiterated by other politicians, including Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔), DPP Legislator Huang Kuo-shu (黃國書), Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) and Vice President William Lai (賴清德) during his premiership in 2018.
Yang has said that moving the legislature would help spur development in a new location, and has suggested the Chenggong Ling (成功嶺) military training camp in Taichung’s Wujih District (烏日) or the Taiwan Provincial Assembly Memorial Park in the city’s Wufeng District (霧峰).
The Changhua County Government has also pushed for the legislature to be moved to either Tianjhong or Shetou Township (社頭).
Independent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) has proposed relocating to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, arguing that such a move would help realize the nation’s transitional justice goals, while solving residents’ concerns about land use at the legislature’s current site.
The hall would also be more aesthetic than the current complex, he said.
DPP Legislator Kao Chia-yu (高嘉瑜) has proposed moving to the 202 Munitions Works, saying that it would provide adequate space and that its proximity to Nangang Railway Station would make it a more convenient location.
DPP Legislator Wu Chi-ming (吳琪銘) said that the previous site of the Taipei Detention Center in New Taipei City’s Tucheng should also be considered, given that it would offer a large amount of space.
DPP Legislator Chen Ou-po (陳歐珀), on the other hand, has said that a move to Yilan would spur development there, and make it easier for the military to protect the legislature in the event of an attack.
National Taipei University College of Public Affairs assistant professor Hong Wei-sheng (洪偉勝) on Saturday said that Taichung would be the most viable place to move to, in terms of national land planning.
However, such a move would make it expensive for officials to report to the legislature, he said, adding that if the Legislative Yuan moved to Taichung, then the Executive Yuan should relocate to Nantou County’s Jhongsing New Village (中興新村).
Tamkang University Department of Public Administration professor Chen Ming-siang (陳銘祥) echoed Hong’s argument that only a comprehensive move of different government facilities would make sense.
However, in most countries, central government facilities are located in a capital city, he said.
National Taiwan University Department of Political Science associate professor Peng Chin-peng (彭錦鵬) said that the legislature has never been moved, despite lengthy discussion on the issue, due to issues over whether Taiwan is a presidential system of government.
Legislators also lack determination on the issue, he added.
“If Taiwan’s current constitutional system is to be maintained, then it really is not necessary to move the legislature. The current complex could be rebuilt if space is a concern,” he said.
The Grand Hotel Taipei on Saturday confirmed that its information system had been illegally accessed and expressed its deepest apologies for the concern it has caused its customers, adding that the issue is being investigated by the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau. The hotel said that on Tuesday last week, it had discovered an external illegal intrusion into its information system. An initial digital forensic investigation confirmed that parts of the system had been accessed, it said, adding that the possibility that some customer data were stolen and leaked could not be ruled out. The actual scope and content of the affected data
‘LIKE-MINDED PARTNER’: Tako van Popta said it would be inappropriate to delay signing the deal with Taiwan because of China, adding he would promote the issue Canadian senators have stressed Taiwan’s importance for international trade and expressed enthusiasm for ensuring the Taiwan-Canada trade cooperation framework agreement is implemented this year. Representative to Canada Harry Tseng (曾厚仁) in an interview with the Central News Agency (CNA) said he was increasingly uneasy about Ottawa’s delays in signing the agreement, especially as Ottawa has warmed toward Beijing. There are “no negotiations left. Not only [is it] initialed, we have three versions of the text ready: English, French and Mandarin,” Tseng said. “That tells you how close we are to the final signature.” Tseng said that he hoped Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday bestowed one of Taiwan’s highest honors on Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Ambassador Andrea Clare Bowman in recognition of her contributions to bilateral ties. “By conferring the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon on Ambassador Bowman today, I want to sincerely thank her, on behalf of the Taiwanese people, for her outstanding contribution to deepening diplomatic ties between Taiwan and SVG,” Lai said at a ceremony held at the Presidential Office in Taipei. He noted that Bowman became SVG’s first ambassador to Taiwan in 2019 and
POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT: Japan and the US are expected to hold in-depth discussions on Taiwan-related issues during the meeting next month, Japanese sources said The holding of a Japan-US leaders’ meeting ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to China is positive news for Taiwan, former Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association representative Hiroyasu Izumi said yesterday. After the Liberal Democratic Party’s landslide victory in Japan’s House of Representatives election, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to visit the US next month, where she is to meet with Trump ahead of the US president’s planned visit to China from March 31 to April 2 for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平). Japan and the US are expected to hold in-depth discussions on Taiwan-related issues during the
RSS