Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus officials yesterday demanded that the head of the Central Election Commission (CEC) explain its decision to delay a referendum that had been scheduled for next month, but not the recall of a legislator.
The officials said they would next week go to CEC Chairman Lee Chin-yung’s (李進勇) office to have him explain why the commission on Friday postponed an Aug. 28 referendum to Dec. 18, citing COVID-19 concerns, but tentatively scheduled the recall election of Taiwan Statebuilding Party Legislator Chen Po-wei (陳柏惟) for Aug. 28.
The commission said that it would convene on July 16 to discuss whether to reschedule the recall.
Photo courtesy of the KMT legislative caucus
KMT caucus secretary-general Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) in an online news conference said she was puzzled as to why the commission had unanimously voted to delay the upcoming referendum on four proposals, while leaving the Chen recall for deliberation.
KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Jessica Chen (陳玉珍) said that the caucus supports delaying the referendum, but questions the legal basis for the move.
The amended Referendum Act (公民投票法), which separates referendums from general elections, does not provide a legal basis for delaying referendums, the KMT caucus said, calling for an extraordinary session to amend the act to allow for postponements.
The allowance for absentee voting, which the KMT has argued for, also remains unresolved, Jessica Chen added.
Taiwan does not have an absentee voting system, meaning voters must cast their ballots in person in the areas where their households are registered.
These “kinks” need to be ironed out during an extraordinary session, and there is no reason why the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) should be afraid of convening such a session, she said.
Cheng also urged the DPP to end what she said was an abuse of its legislative majority and allow the legislature to enact laws for the betterment of Taiwanese, instead of being a rubber stamp for certain political parties.
Additional reporting by CNA
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and