Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator-elect Fu Kun-chi yesterday reiterated his intention to run for legislative speaker.
At a press conference in Hualien County’s Jian Township (吉安) yesterday, Fu outlined his platform based on various reforms, including enhancing functions of legislative committees, transparency in operating budgets and for legislators to be given the power to issue subpoenas in conducting investigations.
The announcement by Fu, a former Hualien County commissioner, runs counter to his party, as KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) has already given backing to KMT nominees Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) and Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) to run for legislative speaker and deputy speaker positions respectively.
At a banquet last night, Han called for party unity and asked for support for his run for the speakership.
Voting is scheduled for Feb. 1, the first day of the new legislature.
In the Jan. 13 legislative elections, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) secured 51 seats in the 113-seat legislature, the KMT 52 and the Taiwan People’s Party eight. Another two seats were won by independents aligned with the KMT.
Meanwhile, Legislative Speaker You Si-kun of the DPP, in an effort to retain his speaker’s position, extolled his forging of new relations with foreign countries’ parliaments.
He said yesterday that the speaker plays a vital role in Taiwan’s diplomatic relations, but if the new speaker has a pro-China stance and has personal links to Beijing, then it would be difficult for the legislature to engage properly in foreign affairs.
Separately, DPP Hualien County Councilor Hu Jen-shun (胡仁順) yesterday criticized Fu, saying he “should try to reform himself first.”
Hu said that when Fu was a county commissioner and faced criticism from county councilors over his policies, Fu would use government resources and media to conduct smear campaigns and freeze project funds that were requested by councilors for local constituencies.
Additional reporting by Wang Chin-yi and Chiang Chih-hsiung
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