Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) breached the rules by abruptly revoking floor time of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members, DPP lawmakers said yesterday.
According to the legislative schedule, lawmakers were supposed to participate in a general question-and-answer session yesterday.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lo Ming-tsai (羅明才) replaced his verbal questions with written questions shortly before the session and did not attend.
Photo: CNA
Lawmakers after Lo in the order were also absent, having expected him to use his time.
However, Han closed the floor and moved on with the session after three roll calls, saying that the members scheduled to speak were not present.
DPP lawmakers told a news conference later that Han had committed “a gross act of disrespect” to lawmakers and procedure.
DPP Legislator Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) said he showed up nearly 30 minutes before his scheduled time only to find that Han had already terminated proceedings.
The speaker should have handled the absence of a lawmaker by calling a recess instead of taking away the time altogether, Hung said, adding that Han had “an arrogant attitude” when lawmakers protested his decision.
The speaker’s decision was completely unreasonable and harmed voters, whose representatives were denied a chance to speak in defense of their interests, DPP Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) said, adding that Han should apologize for his actions.
Han later spoke with the DPP lawmakers affected in his office.
A DPP lawmaker who attended the meeting cited Han as saying he would speak with the caucus whips of all parties to allow redress for the lost time.
Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said Saturday that she would not be intimidated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), following reports that Chinese agents planned to ram her car during a visit to the Czech Republic last year. "I had a great visit to Prague & thank the Czech authorities for their hospitality & ensuring my safety," Hsiao said on social media platform X. "The CCP's unlawful activities will NOT intimidate me from voicing Taiwan's interests in the international community," she wrote. Hsiao visited the Czech Republic on March 18 last year as vice president-elect and met with Czech Senate leadership, including
There have been clear signs of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attempts to interfere in the nationwide recall vote on July 26 in support of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators facing recall, an unnamed government official said, warning about possible further actions. The CCP is actively involved in Taiwanese politics, and interference in the recall vote is to be expected, with multiple Chinese state media and TAO attempts to discredit the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and undermine public support of their recall movement, the official said. This interference includes a smear campaign initiated this month by a pro-Beijing Hong Kong news outlet against
A week-long exhibition on modern Tibetan history and the Dalai Lama’s global advocacy opened yesterday in Taipei, featuring quotes and artworks highlighting human rights and China’s ongoing repression of Tibetans, Hong Kongers and Uighurs. The exhibition, the first organized by the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan (HRNTT), is titled “From the Snowy Ridges to the Ocean of Wisdom.” “It would be impossible for Tibetans inside Tibet to hold an exhibition like this — we can do it. because we live in a free and democratic country,” HRNTT secretary-general Tashi Tsering said. Tashi Tsering, a Taiwan-based Tibetan who has never
A first shipment of five tons of Taiwan tilapia was sent from Tainan to Singapore on Wednesday, following an order valued at NT$600,000 (US$20,500) placed with a company in the city. The products, including frozen whole fish and pre- cooked fish belly, were dispatched from Jiangjun Fishing Harbor, where a new aquatic processing and logistics center is under construction. At the launch, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) called the move a “breakthrough,” marking Taiwan’s expansion into the Singaporean tilapia market. Taiwan’s tilapia exports have traditionally focused on the United States, Canada, and the Middle East, Huang said, adding that the new foothold in
RSS